


Gift of One

by Stories4fun



Category: South Park
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Building trust, Confused Craig, Craig's POV, Craig's Sarcastic (even about dying), Cultural Differences, Dark Area | Dark Ocean, Depictions of Drowning, Explicit Language, Fear of Death, Forced Bonding, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Gone for Each Other, Hypothermia, M/M, Protective Craig Tucker, Protective Tweek Tweak, Protectiveness, Rescue, Sarcasm, Size Difference, underwater creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:34:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23529988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stories4fun/pseuds/Stories4fun
Summary: Craig Tucker strived to have a normal life. Unfortunately for him, things don’t always go the way he wants. Especially when he gets mixed up in another one of those idiots schemes. Unluckily enough, he didn’t have to deal with it for long. Nope. Instead, he had to deal with a whole other world of problems that start off with going overboard the drug lord’s yacht.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Comments: 33
Kudos: 81





	1. Take Me Back To The Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, thanks for checking this out, it's my first South Park story. There will be a lot of foul language used, so be ready for that. I figure Craig swears a lot, so he is both going to verbally and mentally do it throughout the whole story.
> 
> They are all older in this, not children. I'm not sure exactly what all to tag, but I gave it a shot. I may bump up the rating later on if it seems I need to.
> 
> Just to warn ahead of time, if you didn't read the tags, there will be descriptions of drowning and hypothermia. Plus, the ocean's scary, especially far out into it's depths. On a beach where you're relatively safe is not the same and is not what is being described.
> 
> Okay, enough about that, go ahead and read, enjoy. It's gonna be rough at first.

“Ok, fine. I’ll explain,” Craig gave in finally. After so long of him fighting it, of avoidance, of lying. He was finally going to explain. Not like he could get away without it at this point. 

Token was too observant, Clyde was too whiningly persistent, and while Jimmy tried to wave everything away with jokes and humor, he was also doggedly curious and looked for the truth. Probably a vestige from his years of doing the school paper.

So here he found himself, unloading on them this tale of epic proportions. Ha! As if.

More like being a total lying ass who was now going to break a monumental promise he’d made to not tell this tale. He only hoped he could be forgiven, on both sides.

To start, well, they knew the beginning at least. They were with him after all.

Right there on some drug lord’s yacht in the middle of some ocean. Honestly he still didn’t know where they’d actually been to begin with. Comes with being kidnapped by a bunch of goons. Not knowing where you were or where you were taken to. Other than on a yacht, late at night, in the middle of the goddamn ocean.

Why was he on a drug lord’s yacht? A question he would also very much like an answer to, but that would mean interacting with - you guessed it - that bunch of dicks who got him into the mess in the first place.

It was never even a question really. At this point it was safe to assume if shit started happening, it was because of those idiots. Unfortunately he had a habit of somehow getting involved in their happenings and it never turned out well. For him.

As it just so happened, he’d managed to piss off one of the puffed-up lackeys who turned out to be easily offended. Which led him to his fate. 

The rough hand grabbed his arm and pulled him up off the ground where he sat with the rest of the tied up captives. Though ‘tied up’ was giving them a little too much credit. His hands were bound sure, but he, like the rest of them, were completely unbound otherwise.

Guess they really didn’t need to fully tie them up seeing as they had huge guns that would do the work for them should any of their hostages do anything stupid or deserving of a bullet.

Instead of earning a bullet to any of his fleshy bits, Craig was treated to a whole different kind of fun. 

He was pushed toward the plank - which, god, they had a plank like they were some drug dealing pirates, so fucking stupid - as the flunky was goading him. Saying shit like “Oh yeah, let’s see how tough you are now, let’s see you how quick you beg,” and other crap that just made him seem like he had an even smaller ego and overly sensitive pride than Craig originally thought was even possible.

Of course Craig was just plain stubborn. So, yeah, there was no way he was giving into that dickwads threats. Instead he obstinately walked the plank - probably just a diving board since this was some kind of luxury yacht… still stupid though - he was pushed forward by the _clearly a pirate drug dealer’s_ end of a gun, even as Clyde was cry-screaming and the others were making all sorts of noise of protest and fear. Flatteringly enough, Kyle actually tried to distract them by way of arguing and even pointing out how ‘they didn’t want to do this’ and ‘killing him will only get you a worse prison sentence’ not that it worked, but still nice of him to go through the effort.

The only way he would’ve been let off that stupid diving board of a pirate’s plank was if he apologized or begged - and that was just _never_ gonna happen. Maybe the guy would’ve gotten tired of being a bad cartoonish villain and let him back on the boat, but that’s not what happened.

The sea is a treacherous place. 

It was very daunting to look down into its inky black depths and see exactly nothing. The board he was on wobbled terribly, unhelped by the rocking of the boat - sorry, yacht - and the wind that whipped and pushed. 

He tottered dangerously all the way to the very end of the board. He could practically feel it bending under his weight. The cackling laughs from all the wannabe pirates at his hesitance, which they knew came from fear, only served to piss him off further. Just not enough to actually be a gigantic moron that jumps off a boat into the waters below. 

No, the honor of his fall into it’s deathly embrace goes to none other than the ocean itself. Or more accurately, the yacht suddenly moving again, and sending him off the careful balance he’d managed to retain.

For quite some time, the boat had remained stationary, but of course it suddenly started moving again when he was in the most precarious of positions throwing him overboard into the deep blue sea. 

He wasn’t sure why it had started moving again, and it really wasn’t his main concern as soon as he hit the water.

First priority was, oh you know, not drowning.

He did an admirable job of that, at first. Really, he deserves some kind of recognition for how long he held out.

But the thing about the sea is, it doesn’t care. It’s a merciless bitch. 

No matter how desperate you are, no matter how much you struggle, in the end it doesn’t matter not one damn bit, because it drags you down with its current like claws digging in pulling, pulling, until you go under.

It didn’t matter that his legs kicked and kicked to keep him above the rolling tide.

It didn’t matter how much he fought and wriggled trying to pry his hands out of their binds behind his back.

It didn’t matter that he could barely crest above each new crashing wave to gain some gasping breath and a mouthful of water.

It didn’t matter that he felt all the heat being leached from his body, leaving him a shaking, shivering, vulnerable little snack of quickly stiffening muscles.

It didn’t matter that he could hardly fight the current tugging at him as his body began to ache and burn.

It didn’t matter that his head went under and he desperately held his last bit of breath as his legs tried futilely to go back up.

It didn’t matter that he became disoriented and didn’t even know which way was up anymore.

It didn’t matter that his lungs burned and his eyes couldn’t see anything but terrifying pitch black nothingness.

It didn’t matter that he was cold, alone, afraid, and drowning.

What did matter was his friends still on a drug dealer’s boat, possibly going to be killed.

What did matter was his mom, his dad, his little sister, who he would never see again.

What did matter was he wouldn’t get to watch Tricia grow up. He hoped she took care of Stripe.

What did matter was all the things he wanted to do with his life, all the things he would never get to do.

What did matter was Clyde probably crying something terrible.

What did matter was he was dying. Alone. Afraid. Adrift.

What did matter was he would miss everyone he loved.

What did matter was he was never going to see them again, to tell them, to let them know. He hopes they know. 

_What does matter is he doesn’t want to die._

But then, when has the ocean ever cared?


	2. Kiss of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the continuing adventure of Craig's drowning. The story will move on from that after, but I wanted to detail what he would be going through as fully as I was capable. I figured it's both very slow and surprisingly quick (the whole thing lasts approximately less than 10 minutes, usually even faster), so he'd endure quite a bit of painful struggling. 
> 
> In case you don't know, if you go too long being hypothermic, you begin to feel hot, not cold. It's the messed up way our bodies react. Along with how at first your heart beats harder, but reduces after prolonged exposure to low temperatures. I think I showed that, as best I could think to.
> 
> Oh! Also, thanks for the kudos, comments, I hope you continue to enjoy.

Pinpricks of cold numbing pain dotted his skin. Similar to a limb that fell asleep only to have pins and needles flare across it when it woke, turning it into a pincushion. He was that pincushion now. 

Except his skin was on fire, his body overheating. It wasn’t numbing at all. The heat was unbearable. He wanted to strip and cool off. But his hands were tied and he couldn’t breathe let alone maneuver to shed his clothing.

At least the new sensations momentarily distracted him from the fist in his chest, squeezing his lungs.

The screaming, begging, ache in his lungs that held his very last breath won out. He couldn’t keep holding off from the agonizing need to get more air. Though, some logical part of his brain pointed out, he’d only be inviting in water not air. 

At that point, he couldn’t stop it any longer. He opened his mouth with a gasp, and promptly choked on the stinging rush of salt water flowing in.

His body immediately tried to purge the invading water, cough it back out to get actual air instead. He practically folded in half writhing in the ocean's deep, unable to rid the water from inside him, and not any more able to breathe air from a surface he long lost track of.

He didn’t know which way was up or down, he only knew fiery icicles of pain piercing his body and lungs. Death would be a kindness by now.

He'd assumed with all his fruitless struggles, overwhelming fear, and icy-hot burning chilling him to the bone, he should’ve succumbed, his mind simply should’ve shut down.

Apparently it wanted him to suffer. To know the torment of this fight to live with no victory at its end. As if he’d be awarded a consolation prize for his attempts, for hanging on so long, not giving in even when he wished he could.

He found no sympathy here, not from his mind, nor from the sea. Both didn’t do pity. That’s why, even as he drowned, freezing as he sunk, he wasn’t given the mercy of numb oblivion.

He was very much aware that his heart beat so hard it _hurt_ , that his muscles were pulled taut and rigid from cold exhaustion, that the lack of oxygen was making him delirious, that he couldn’t see but he could _hear_.

Everything was made infinitely more spine-chilling hearing but not seeing. It was frighteningly creepy. He wouldn’t even be able to make out if something was a centimeter in front of him from how all-consuming the dark was. But the sounds, _oh god_ , the sounds.

There were so many unknown eerie sounds. This was not a place humans should be. Only monsters dwelled here.

It wasn’t just the waves, the thrashing in the water, and his own slowing heartbeat as a lullaby laying him to sleep. No, he got his own unique soundtrack, made by the critters of the ocean, that he was forced to listen to as he sunk to his watery grave. The clicking and clacking, chittering noises, and what sounded like cries or squeaking wails. 

As alarming as it was to hear unidentifiable noises near him, he had the horrible thought that it would be just his luck if the Jaws theme song started playing. 

He almost didn’t register the feel of something slide by him. It was as if he’d summoned it just by thinking.

He almost could have laughed, if it wasn’t so terrible… and he had no breath to spare for it. What a way to go out. Craig Tucker died of drowning while being eaten.

Worse, he couldn’t see what was about to take a chunk out of him, or maybe it was actually a blessing. All he knew was, it felt big enough. Maybe it was a really big fish that wasn’t going to eat him, and maybe he was terrible at being an optimist.

His flailing around as he drowned was sure to attract some big nasty. Hopefully he died before it started on it’s meal, he didn’t need the added pain.

Drowning for the win. He was losing consciousness. He wouldn’t feel it when his corpse was fed upon, yay.

As the last of his mind was slipping away, and his wild movements slowed to a halt, he felt something touching him again. Pressing in close along his legs. He only needed a minute more and he would be dead, couldn’t it wait just that long. Was that too big a mercy to ask?

The last thing he felt before the inevitable end, as he floated there so close to the blissful release from the continued miserable agony of awareness, was what surprisingly registered as hands on his face and what he could have sworn were lips pressing against his. But then, that was completely delusional.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Except maybe it wasn’t.

Because, holy shit, he was being held by someone. He didn’t know how long it'd been since the curtain fell over the last glimmer of his mind, but he was suddenly aware of things again.

Like the fact that he wasn’t dead. Someone had him cradled in their arms - well, arm technically. There was only the one arm around his body, securely holding him to them. It felt like they were moving, judging by the muscles he could feel stretching against him. 

Only problem was, when he opened his eyes to confirm this, to confirm he was alive and held by someone while they moved, he couldn’t see anything. Not because he didn’t have his eyes open, but because it was still as dark as a goddamn black hole.

Which didn’t make sense, there should be light if he was rescued, right? Oh fuck, was he blind? Did his mind not getting enough oxygen for too long take his sight?

This was fucked, this was soooo fucked. If he was blind, and he lived to see those assholes, he was returning the favor. He didn’t care how or when, it was their fault this happened and he would pluck their fucking eyes out, or something, didn’t know, he’d figure it out later. He was still a little bit out of it. Okay, understatement. A lot out of it.

But, hey, alive! Alive was good, alive was great. Alive without eyesight, not so great, but he’d been rescued by whoever was holding him and wasn’t dead so that was a plus. 

Oh man, he really wasn’t firing on all cylinders quite yet was he…

Taking stock of the rest of his body, he came to find his hands were still bound behind his back. He would’ve thought whoever rescued him would’ve released him from the ropes, but guess not. Probably more important things to worry about, like actually bringing a person back from the brink of death. So, he couldn’t really fault them for it.

He still felt cold, but less so. It was no longer the unbearable heat from earlier, but even the chill was lessened. Like he didn’t feel it as much. Not like he’d been warmed up, and more like he’d become more acclimated to it. Which didn’t bode well, if he was going numb to cold he was pretty sure that was a sign of hypothermia. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure all of what he’d gone through were signs of it. He was very likely hypothermic right now and this person was rushing him to get help to not die from that when they just saved him from death by drowning.

He had very a many question for this particular person, up to and including: how the fuck they found and rescued him in the middle of the ocean at the dead of night. Were they tailing that drug lord’s yacht or something? Saw him go overboard and came to his aid?

If so, then they deserved all the gratitude in the world. They already did. They saved him after all, he’d be able to see his family again. His friends. Stripe. 

He could do things with his life. He had a life to do stuff with. Again, yay, he’s not dead.

He only hoped it stayed that way and he wasn’t in some immediate danger of dying from hypothermia any second. That would suck, majorly.

Was it not as dark as he thought it was before? Or was he regaining the ability to see… 

Odd, he could sort of make things out now. It was a bit of a fuzzy dim haze, but he’d take it. His eyes were adjusting as he blinked over and over again to get them to work right. With each blink things got clearer. 

It seemed there was very little lighting, like putting the house lights on low when watching a scary movie kind of little. Like trying to stargaze but the glow from light pollution made it hard to make out the stars kind of little. Like _fuck he was still in the ocean_ and those were fish he was able to spot as he flew by kind of low lighting.

Well, shit. He almost didn’t even want to know how this was at all possible, at the same time, he very much wanted to know how he could see and, more importantly, not be drowning under the ocean’s surface anymore.

This meant he had to use his new capacity to see, to find out who, or rather what, had a hold of him. It was more than a little terrifying to realize he was not rescued as he originally thought, because clearly some predator must've gotten him, and now he was in shock. Which was why his body and mind had snapped and broken completely to the point that he didn’t even feel anything anymore. Yeah that made sense. 

Welp, back to dying then. 


	3. In Its Arms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back. Here we are, finally past the drowning bit. I'm sure you've already figured out where this is going, but Craig hasn't so he'll be trying to do just that. 
> 
> Have fun reading! 
> 
> Thanks again for the kudos and comments. It's nice to know people like the story.

No death came. Nor did pain. He was definitely sore from everything he’d gone through, his body ached, his head was still pounding, and he was all around not at his best - mentally and physically - but at least there was no new harm that he could catalog. He hadn’t gone numb as he first assumed, meaning he wasn’t in shock, thankfully. 

He didn’t feel teeth digging into his skin, so whatever this was, it hadn’t attempted to eat him. For now. It was possible it was taking him to save as a meal for later, but so far it was merely swimming them somewhere. 

Somehow he didn’t get the impression that he was in danger. After all, he wasn’t dying, he wasn’t being eaten, he wasn’t drowning. The last part he really didn’t understand, but there was only one place he could get answers from. Though it meant confronting the creature that had captured him.

The only thing left for him to do was figure out just what it was and if it could even be communicated with. He couldn’t exactly fight it. Even if he did, he would most likely not win. If he did manage to win, he’d still be lost and all alone without help - under the sea, down where it’s terrifying, take it from him. 

Who knew, maybe he lucked out and it was friendly. He didn’t hold out much hope on that front. For all he knew it could be a diver, a very quick swimming scuba diver. If he discounted how unnaturally fast they were going… yeah, he really was bad at this whole optimism thing. 

With the only course of action available to him laid out, he gathered up all the courage he could muster to turn his head toward it. 

A predator definitely got him, just not the way he thought it did. The being whose torso he was tightly held against was not human. That much was for sure. It may appear to be, with its human-esque features, but those were where the differences began.

The first thing he saw when he'd turned away from watching mesmerized as the ocean zoomed by them, when he finally got a good look at it, was its wet wild blond hair flowing behind it as it swam them swiftly through the dark waters. On the side of its head Craig was facing, where he expected to find its ear, he discovered the first difference between a human and whatever this thing was. 

What seemed to be some fin-like protrusions with bumpy ridges flared out to the side and appeared to also move. Below what he considered its ear, in a vertical, slightly curved, line along its neck, resembled a gill. A legitimate fish-like gill that was opening and closing as it pumped water. Three similar horizontal slashes were aligned along its ribs on either side of its chest - a very nicely toned chest that he was pressed right up against - they too moved as it breathed.

What was the purpose of even having them on its neck then? Odd design if he said so himself. Then again, plenty of animals, and even humans, had strange, rather vulnerable, and sometimes inconvenient features. Take honeybees for example, poor things died after one sting, but they were so cute and fuzzy. They didn’t deserve that, they should be able to live to fight another day like their cousin the bumblebee, who in his humble opinion were even cuter being all big and fluffy. He had a weakness for cute fluffy things okay, like guinea pigs, he just wanted to hold them and pet them and love them.

Whoa. Okay, his brain was still a bit of a jumbled mess. It felt pretty clouded, like it was stuffed full of cotton. He needed to be focusing, not getting distracted, but his mind wasn’t doing him any favors being so muddled. It was in the process of recovering from the forced shut down earlier, so he was still gathering his bearings.

Putting effort into concentrating on the task at hand, he further observed more of its extraordinary physique. Its arm - the one not currently behind his back - was doing a one armed swim stroke in tandem with the rest of its body's movements. It very clearly had a fan-like fin sticking out from it's otherwise normal looking arm. This fin stretched from just above its wrist all the way to its elbow with the other oddity being the scales speckled along it.

The scales extended to the back of its hand, or should he say claw, because that thing was sharp looking, with elongated nails that were noticeably pointed. Looking at its hand further revealed there were no spaces between it’s fingers, instead there was a thin layer of what he assumed to be webbing, not skin, since it was slightly translucent. The underside of its hands didn’t appear to have any scales, essentially looking like a normal human palm.

In addition to all the other peculiarities, it had pretty shimmering, almost reflective, shades of green and golden colored scales adorning its body beyond just scattered about its arm and around its fins. Though they didn’t appear to be covering its entire body from what he could tell. There was quite a bit of skin to be seen too, or what he believed to be skin, but who knew anymore… certainly not him.

That's not even where the differences ended. Oh no, because behind it trailed a very obvious fish-like tail. 

That was the last nail in the coffin beating him over the head with the overwhelming evidence which told him exactly what this creature was. At that point, Craig admitted to himself, he was being carried by a mermaid. 

Or perhaps merman? Merperson? He didn’t exactly know the proper name for it. Just that, it fit. All the fishy features mixed with enough human ones to appear like something in between. It added up to be the mythological creature which, for some reason, saved him from drowning. 

He was unclear as to how it saved him (or why) beyond grabbing him and swimming, but figured it must be some kind of merperson powers. Though, based on just about every myth he’s ever heard _ever_ , they were supposed to use whatever abilities they had to do the exact opposite. To try to _kill_ everyone they encountered. 

To him this was pretty out of character for such creatures, to help instead of hurt. Would’ve made more sense had the thing left him to drown on his own, or hell, dragged him down farther. That seemed more like what most tales said about them. It was shown in plenty of stories involving mermaids or sirens or whatever. 

He wasn’t some mythology buff, most of his knowledge was from stupid shows Clyde and them had him watch (mostly Clyde though) or The Little Mermaid, but he couldn’t trust Disney’s interpretation. Too much happy ending and not enough real facts. 

Although, before about a minute ago mermaids existing would _not_ have been something he considered a fact. That would have remained firmly in the ‘things that don’t exist’ file. Safe and tucked away where make believe creatures couldn’t hurt him. They were not supposed to be in the horrifyingly real category. There were already plenty of things in the world that went into that file, he didn’t need more, but he was stuck with more anyway. 

So trusting Disney to tell the tale correctly, for him to base his possibility of survival on singing mermaids and love conquering all was probably ~~the stupidest idea ever~~ not the best bet. He would have to wade through this cautiously and hope like hell he didn’t offend or get his ass killed. 

First thing first, Craig decided to take a chance at speaking to it. “Hey,” he said as calmly and non-threatening as he could manage.

So much for that, he startled the creature badly with just a word. Not the best way to start off. It squawked a strange ‘gah’ like noise as its quick graceful flow of momentum was ruined by the way it tensed and whipped its head toward him while its speed slowed. 

Oh shit, yeah… that was not a human. He already knew that, but it was still startling to see its eyes which seemed as if they were constantly dilated black within the ring of ocean green color. There was no white around its eyes like he would’ve expected if it were a human, the new difference was jarring to find. 

An even worse discovery came when it opened its mouth to respond with its very inhuman voice and displayed its very inhuman teeth - sharp pointed teeth which once again reminded him he was in the arms of a predator.

They had slowed to a halt, just floating there suspended in the water as it spoke to him. Or, at least, made a bunch of weird sounds that were meant to be speech. 

“You’re awake! I didn’t know if it worked, but I guess it did. Or, not guess, since you are alive and awake, so… are you okay?” The noises it was making did not match the words Craig was getting. This made no sense. This made absolutely _no_ _sense_! 

How the fuck could he understands those squeaks and clicks and whistles? It’s not like Craig assumed it could speak his language, or even any language at all, but for it to make those sounds and for him to understand what they meant was a whole other thing entirely. Mainly because he shouldn’t be able to interpret its sea creature dialect.

It tilted its head at him and for some reason looked as if it was concerned for him. It probably realized how freaked out he was right now. Why that concerned it though, was beyond him.

“No.” He answered it flatly. What else was he to say, that he was totally okay with a merperson not only existing but communicating with him? This was crazy. He was a very rational person, and this right here was anything but. 

“What? Why? Are you hurt?” Its hand fluttered around him, unsure of where to search or touch. Craig reeled back from the sharp claw being so near to him, as much as he could while still in its other arms hold.

It immediately ceased its actions, arm falling to the side, and gave him this sad hurt look as if Craig reacting like that was upsetting to it. 

He actually felt a little bad. Which was ridiculous, he couldn’t automatically trust this thing even if it had saved him from dying. Who knew why it had, or what it wanted from him now that it’d rescued him. So, he was entirely justified in being wary of it.

It did not seem to share that opinion though, because it continued to look all dejected. It was like he kicked a puppy. Jesus.

“Uh, what’s going on?” He decided to ask in hopes of getting some answers out of it.

It seemed to consider him for a second, still looking rather crestfallen, and even sounding like it as it answered. “I’m taking you home.”

That was all it gave him, but he was happy to hear it. Relieved beyond what words could express. Sure merpeople existed, but who cared. He was getting a ride home and not drowning in the meantime, so everything was looking up for Craig.


	4. Ask Me No Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello. I noticed the other chapters spacing was a little wide. I went back and fixed it I think. Not sure if you guys preferred it like that or with less spacing. If you liked it the other way, or if there isn't enough spacing let me know.
> 
> Anyway, just wanted to say Craig will be referring to the mer as 'it' for a portion of the chapter, then change to calling 'it' a 'he' later. This may be confusing, but I did it because at first Craig didn't know what it was. Alrighty then, carry on.

Its arm around his back loosened its hold so he wasn’t pressed right against it anymore. They remained stagnant in the open waters facing each other. Just floating there in uncomfortable silence while Craig tried to think of what to say now that he’d upset the mer. They didn’t start moving right away - the only movement being an occasional flick of its tail to keep them afloat - as much as Craig wished he could tell it to, he wasn’t so ungracious that he’d hurry it along, even as eager as he was to get home. 

He’d very much like to leave the ocean far behind him and never go near it again. Dry land for the rest of his life, maybe a pool at most. 

Clearly, Craig had hurt its feelings since it was still moping about how he’d lurched away from it. Apparently it didn’t appreciate Craig thinking it was going to hurt him. Which in all honesty, meant good things for him. Meant that Craig was likely not in danger of it harming him, as he’d held some fear of. Or it was lulling him into a false sense of security, but no… no, he was sure it wouldn’t have been so quick to react like that. 

Plus, it seemed very genuine in its actions, and it would have no reason to save him only to hurt or kill him later, so he chose to give it the benefit of the doubt and trust it with his safety. He let go of his suspicions, though not the many questions he had for it, and figured he ought to let it know how appreciative he was about what it had done for him, what it was doing for him.

Craig supposed he owed it quite a bit. Not only for saying it would take him home, but also for rescuing him to begin with. He looked insensitive with how he was being thus far. Even if this situation was completely crazy, and worthy of a freakout, he had to accept that this was reality, hold himself together, and thank the merperson - who had his life in its hands. 

“Uh… so, thanks. I really appreciate it.” He was truly glad to be heading home, he just wasn’t that great at expressing himself. “And the whole saving me from drowning thing. It sucked. Drowning.” Craig felt awkward talking to it now. He was kind of a jerk with how mistrustful he’d been. Yet here this merperson was being nice enough to rescue his ungrateful ass, even show concern for him, and was now taking him home, and Craig had been suspicious and afraid of it. He was the worst.

It seemed to perk up at his better attitude and thankfulness. No longer sullen and moping from Craig pulling away from it. At least it had cheered up some, Craig would’ve felt even more rotten if it’d remained looking like that.

He wanted to ask it to unbind his hands first before they continued on their journey, the ropes were chafing against his skin, but it was already doing more than enough and asking for any extra favors seemed rude. Maybe it wouldn’t mind doing it real quick though, they were really bothering his wrists.

It hummed something unintelligible that he could actually feel vibrating against him. Then made those odd sounds again which his brain interpreted as words. 

“It was awful, I couldn’t just stay there watching you struggling like that. Not without at least trying to help, and I didn’t know how else to. There was no land nearby to bring you to.” It looked away guiltily as it said this, as if it was somehow its fault - for what though, Craig had no idea, after all it had saved him that was praiseworthy, not something to feel bad over.

“Humans can’t breathe underwater. They’re land dwellers. That’s what we are taught,” it explained with a nod of its head before looking a bit downcast again. “The elder says not to help you though. That humans are not good and not meant to be down here anyway. So, if one ends up in our waters we are to leave it be. But I couldn’t just leave when I saw it happening right in front of me!” Came its loud bark of conviction. 

It remained steadfast in its opinion for all of two seconds before it quieted to almost a whisper, “I probably should have.”

It looked like it might be regretting saving him and Craig did not want it to suddenly turn on him if it thought it was better off ditching him now.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” Craig stated honestly, because he knew if he’d been left, he wouldn’t be alive right now, “but are you gonna be okay? You know with your… others? If you were told not to help humans and all, will you get in trouble for doing it anyway?” He tentatively asked the mer, hoping that didn’t tip the scales in favor of it up and leaving him if it believed that would be the wiser decision.

“Probably. Yes. But I'll protect you.” It held strong with a look of determination on its face, acting like it knew it would be punished, but was willing to take whatever came. To pay the price for helping a human. 

That was mind-boggling to him, why would it go to such lengths for him? Just because Craig had been drowning didn’t mean it had to go through all this effort for him, it had even been literally told not to, yet it did anyway. Really, it must be very softhearted, Craig mused.

He was unsure how to help it, certainly it deserved anything Craig could give or do for it after what it had done for him, and what it may yet endure for him. But there was nothing he could think of to help this strong willed mer. It would have to face the consequences of its actions while Craig walked off scot-free back to his world safe and sound.

“Shit, I’m sorry.” Craig wasn’t sure what else to say to it. How to make it not feel so bad. To express how grateful he was that it had saved him and not left him to die as it had been told to do. 

The instructions it was given were more in-line with what Craig had assumed merpeople would be like, that they wouldn’t help humans, and thought humans deserved to die if they ended up in the deadly waters of the mers territory. That this particular mer defied the rule, to Craig, was amazing yet worrisome.

“Rrr, it’s okay.” It gave him a weak smile, showing off those razor edged teeth again. “Now you can breathe the sea like I do.” It chirped happily at him. “So no more drowning.”

“Uh…” Craig was stumped again, he didn’t know what to say to that. He hadn’t considered how he was not drowning beyond just knowing he wasn’t. Oh no. Fucking shit, had this thing turned him into one of its own kind?

“Am I a, you know, like you?” He asked, dreading he may already know the answer.

“Like me?” It tilted its head again in that rather cute little gesture of confusion. 

“Yeah, like you. Am I? Did you change me into one of you?” He was pretty sure he still had two legs, yep there they were floating there when he looked down.

There was a musical high little whistle laugh as it smiled widely at him. “We can’t change humans to be one of us. We are not created, we are born.” 

It continued laughing at him in its own unique way, going from that higher register into something more rich and lovely. The sound of it was quite fascinating, a pleasant yet captivating lure. Even its smile was pretty - despite the pointed teeth.

When its laughing fit tapered off, Craig was able to shake himself out of whatever weird pull he’d felt.

“Oh, okay. That makes sense.” Except it didn’t because he could ‘breathe the sea’ as it said and that wasn’t possible unless he’d been transformed into something like the mer in front of him. “So, how am I ‘breathing the sea’ then, exactly?”

It blinked those big set eyes at him, then frowned as it hesitated in answering. It even shifted him in its arm and seemed to be searching for a way out of talking about this.

“Are you not allowed to tell me or something? Is this like a mermaid secret? Are you even a mermaid? Or are you something else?” Craig had sooo many questions. His mind was practically overflowing with them. With so many, they were spilling out from his lips without his usual filter, probably a side effect of still not being all the way recovered.

A few unfamiliar sounds escaped the mer who seemed a bit taken aback by the rapid fire questions. Though it was very quick to process and answer, as if its mind ran fast. “No and yes. I can’t not tell you, but I’d be bad at it. Explaining would be better left to the elder.” It pondered for a moment more and then said, “I think humans refer to us as that yes, though I’m not a girl if that’s what you’re asking.” 

Not exactly what he’d meant, but hey Craig wasn’t complaining. Getting some answers was better than none. Though he wished the mer, who he now knew was a boy (which should’ve been obvious from its lack of breasts, but again who knew with foreign creatures that were supposed to be myth), would tell him why he could breathe water. 

Why did everything have to be so complicated, couldn’t he just tell him it was merpeople powers, the end? Craig would’ve bought that. Okay, no he wouldn’t have, but he’d at least not be as insatiably curious about it as he was now that he knew there was an answer to have, and this merman had it but wouldn’t tell him.

He was usually cool, calm, and collected. Hard to be all that when he had no idea what was going on! More like he was unable to be anything but brimming with unanswered questions. 

He was dispassionate about most things in life. There were very few things that could get him so fervent and driven to learn more. And hoo-boy was he ever hellbent on finding out more. When that kind of inspiration struck him, he went all in figuring out everything he could about the subject. His space binge when he was younger set him on a path of forever loving and discovering as much about it as he could, and then some. 

This was all new and different and full of things he didn't know or understand. He would have to discover it all on his own, or with the help of the mer… it would make everything a hell of a lot easier if it came with the help of the mer. 

Part of him did just want to say who cares, and simply head home regardless if he got the answers to all his questions or not, but another part needed answers to the avid curiosity this whole thing was bringing up and the endless amount of questions his mind was generating. So, soo, sooo many questions.

“Right, so you’re a boy, a merman. Cool, cool.” Great, he was back to being awkward again. He was trying not to push on the subject the merman didn’t want to explain to him, but it was hard to not ask further, to dig until he got the answers. 

Perhaps he could take the opportunity in this lull in their conversation to get these scratchy ropes off him.

“Hey, before we go anywhere, I was wondering if you could untie my hands, it’s bothering me. These ropes, they’re irritating.” He chanced asking, and got a small chirp in response before being very gently released from his arms hold. Only to then be whirled around and those sharp claws to come slicing downwards. They cut across the ropes with ease releasing him from the abrasive restraints. 

Fuck that was scary! “Woah! Uh… thanks.” Craig had definitely been unprepared for that, he’d expected him to untie the ropes not kickstart his heart like that.

That claw shred through those ropes like they were scissors cutting through paper. Imagine what they could do to him. Best not to get this particular predator pissed at him. Not that he thought this merman would try to hurt him, but if he did something to get on his bad side, or met any other of his kind, that might be a different story. One that ended with him having the pointy ends of sharp claws embedded in his vulnerable human flesh. Ya, no thanks, he’d be avoiding that at all costs.

First thing he did with his hands now free was rub his tender wrists. He paused in the action when he noticed something weird. His hands were different now. He brought them closer to his face for inspection, and confirmed what he felt and what his eyes were seeing. Yep, there was webbing between his fingers. 

On another day this may have been kickass. He may have thought this was awesome to have, but after everything he’d gone through already, it was getting to be too much for him to handle. 

He touched the skin now present attaching his fingers together and could feel the touch in the webbed areas. It had feeling, like it was a real part of him now. This was fucking insane. He was part merman or something. The merman told him they couldn’t be created but how the hell did that explain this, because it didn’t, it really _really_ didn’t.

He had webbed hands, humans didn’t have webbed hands. Not without a birth defect and Craig certainly didn’t have that.

A hand grabbed him around his waist and pulled him back against a hard chest. “You’re sinking. Are you okay? Do you not know how to swim?” The merman asked, worried about him and his capabilities.

“I have webbed hands,” Craig stated the obvious, completely ignoring the questions asked of him. He couldn’t focus on anything else right then, he was a little preoccupied taking in this new development. But it only led his mind to wonder what other changes he’d undergone. 

Then he remembered, he could breathe the sea. Oh fuck. He could breathe the sea. 

No, no, no-no-no-no, **NO!**

He took one of his webbed hands up to his neck to check. Really, looking back he should’ve figured this out already, or at least considered it. How else would he have been able to breathe underwater, if not for being transformed into some amalgamation of a mer and human, resulting in him having webbed hands and gills. _Gills_. He had goddamn gills.

“Yes, you do,” the mer answered Craig’s non-question, entirely unaware of Craig's mounting breakdown.

The complete lack of understanding sent Craig over the edge. The merman didn’t even get why this was an issue, why Craig was freaking out. Well, he was about to.

“What the fuck is this? What the fuck am I?!” He thrashed in his arms, getting an elbow jab into the mers ribs in order to get away from him. He let go easily but looked wary as he stayed close. Craig twisted to face him glowering angrily. The mer seemed lost, like he didn’t know what to do or how to respond.

He turned the full force of his fear, anger, and panic on him. So much for holding it together.

“What did you do? What did you turn me into?! I’m some kind of freak! **Look at this.** ” He violently shoved his hands closer to the stunned mer whose eyes widened and shoulders went up to his ears.

Craig couldn’t go home like this. He would be a freak of nature. Hell, he probably couldn’t even go on land at this point! He breathed the sea now, what the fuck was he supposed to do with that, never be out of the water again? 

He was supposed to go home. He wanted to go home. Fuck, was he never going to be able to go home? Was he stuck like this? What had this fucking creature turned him into?!

“Ack! I-I’m sorry!” He wailed apologetically, “I was only t-trying to help, I didn’t know what else to do! It was the only way.”

“The only way? The only way! What the fuck does that mean? **What. Am. I.** ” Craig growled, scowling at the guilty form of the merman who’d changed him into a freak.

“You’re still human,” he cried, “I swear.” He tried to swim closer to him again, but Craig kicked back away. The mer didn’t try to get close again, instead staying put floating in the open ocean looking like he desperately wanted to make this better.

“How is this still human?” Craig asked incredulously, and held up his hands by the side of his head.

The merman's own webbed hands reached into his damp flowing hair, grabbing and tugging, claws digging through it in distress. “I don’t - I told you, argh! If I tell you, you-you, you just won’t understand. The elder would explain this better.”

“It seems pretty fucking simple, just answer me: what did you turn me into? And don’t tell me I’m human, because this shit ain’t human.” His voice came out dark and threatening, likely doing nothing but scaring the now shaking mer more.

“I’m sorry. It was the only way to save you. I didn’t even know if it would work in the first place,” The mer warbled pathetically. Apologizing over and over again while shrinking into itself.

If he were a human, the mer likely would’ve been crying. As it was, the sounds escaping it were bad enough, like a sad whale song. That's what did it, the mournful wails and sight of him curling protectively around himself. 

Craig felt the emotional upheaval leak out of him at the sight of the merman who’d rescued him, who he owed a great deal to, doing the human equivalent of sobbing after Craig had taken out his fears and anger on him.

He was a fucking asshole.

This merman clearly did what he had to save Craig, and instead of being grateful to him that he was alive - even if it was as a weird freak now - he’d yelled at him, pushed him away, and made him cry.

He was the worst. The absolute worst. He felt like total shit, ashamed that he’d flipped out on him like that, and that he’d lost it at all. He was usually so good at keeping his feelings under control, not letting them overtake him. Plenty of people even called him cold or unfeeling because of how little he cared about most things or showed any emotions at all, ever. 

He’d underestimated how much all of what’d happened had gotten to him. Token would’ve sagely told him not to bottle up his emotions, and that it was only a matter of time before they blew up. Didn’t excuse how he’d acted though. He could’ve done this much more calmly and rationally. Not freaked out the second all his worries were confirmed, and then blew up at the mer who’d done nothing wrong, and had only ever tried to help him.

The guilt smacked him pretty hard in the gut. He couldn’t take watching the mer huddled in on himself and humming in distress. He’d have to try and rectify what he’d just done.

He swam in close to the mer who’s claws were still dug into his hair and body was curled at the waist. The mer looked up at his approach, wide eyes sad and hurt. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered to him, “I really didn’t mean to lose it on you. You didn’t deserve any of that.” Craig went with quiet soothing tones as he studied him and was watched in return. “You saved me. It doesn’t matter how. So, I guess I just have to get used to having gills and webbed hands, and whatever other surprises I’ve acquired. Or… you’ve given me?”

Slowly he straightened, still leery of what else Craig may hurl at him, while his claws stayed deep in that wild hair. “Given you, yes. Kinda,” he said softly with a half-hearted shrug and a small tug to his own hair, worried his answer would upset Craig again.

Well, that still didn’t answer that. He swore this merman was purposefully trying to be as vague as possible. Maybe he was. Maybe he feared Craig returning home with any more information on merpeople was a danger to them. It’d make sense that he didn’t trust Craig. Especially after this.

He really hoped he hadn’t ruined everything just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow Craig way to be a dick. 
> 
> No, but really, I figured Craig's been through a lot already. It takes its toll even on someone as aloof and laid back as Craig. So it stands to reason he would get upset and direct his emotional blow out at the closest target. Plus, technically he did cause this to happen to Craig. Not the drowning part, but the gills and webbing, etc. Makes for both parties feeling guilty for different reasons.
> 
> I just don't know if I had the fight go too quick. If I should've had them go for longer, or if it was good that it went that fast. Since it is Craig and we have seen what its like when he gets angry, I don't think he's the type to hold onto that anger for long. Once he vents it, its over, he gets past it. Unless it's an ongoing fight, or he doesn't feel listened to, or something of that nature. Sure he holds grudges, but that isn't the case here.


	5. I'll Tell You No Lies

Luckily the only witness to their fight, and Craig being a total jerk, was a school of fish in the distance. They seemed to be happily swimming themselves away from the commotion.

Craig, on the other hand, tread water close to the merman since he was no longer holding him and made no effort to try and reach out to touch him again. Instead his hands were still buried in his hair, another thing Craig wanted to fix.

Not that he specifically wanted to be held by the mer, he could of course swim on his own… though it would take a lot longer. The mer could _swim_ , they’d been booking it when Craig had first startled him, there was no way he’d be able to keep up with that. It’d be easier if the mer went back to wrapping him in his arms and carrying him along for the ride. 

But that wasn’t the real reason he wanted the mer to stop pulling his own hair and looking at Craig like he was awaiting the next verbal barrage. All tensed, on edge, and prepared to be blamed for more. Like he was readying himself to receive more of Craig’s ire. Was Craig not clear enough that he was sorry about getting so upset and lashing out at him?

He sighed deep and weary. He really had fucked things up so spectacularly. The strained silence wasn’t doing anyone any favors either. He needed to make up for his behavior and get the mer to relax, calm him down himself if he had to.

Trouble was, Craig and feelings. They didn’t mix. He was terrible at feelings. He had no idea how to navigate anyone's emotional minefield on a good day, this was up there as one of his worst days so how to fix this was far beyond him. 

Clyde probably would’ve been good at it, he’d always been good at people. He was the reason they had gained more friends. When they were younger, it’d been just Craig and Clyde against the world. 

Then Clyde went ahead with his social butterfly self and befriended more people. Token and Jimmy being the main two, but there were others that he was on good terms with, that he might consider a friend, just not as close. Scott came to mind, maybe Butters and even McCormick - though he’d never admit that, especially with him being part of that group of idiots. There were a lot more people back home that he was on friendlier terms with than he ever would’ve been on his own, Clyde was to blame for practically all the people they knew and were friendly with.

He didn’t have much interaction with most girls, but Clyde's girlfriend Bebe was pretty great. He’d say she was a friend too, but if she ever broke Clyde’s heart he’d choose Clyde without a second thought. That’s what best friends did, especially when they were brothers by everything but blood.

Point was, Clyde would be better at figuring out what to do here. Hell anyone else probably would’ve. Token certainly, he was always so observant and gave out advice that was both tactful and wise. Craig didn’t know how they did it. Even Jimmy was great at lightening the mood, alleviating a tense atmosphere and putting everyone at ease, cracking a joke to get people's minds off what was troubling them and open up more to him.

Honestly, he felt like a failure at basic human interaction compared to all them. Even now, when it didn’t even involve a human, he was failing. It was almost laughable that this merman in front of him actually came across more human than he did. Craig could tell from talking with him, with just how earnest he’d been, that the mer was kindhearted and thoughtful which meant he already had more _human decency_ than Craig did.

Like right now, he kept shooting Craig these nervous little glances and shifting uncomfortably. As if he might be ramping up to apologize again, and Craig just couldn’t have that. He didn’t want the mer to continuously feel the need to apologize as if he was to blame when it was Craig’s fault.

To head him off, Craig took the initiative, hoping he wasn’t going to make a bigger mess of things. Surely all those years spent with such considerate friends meant Craig had soaked up some amount of their mystical abilities to deal with a situation like this. 

“So, you’re still upset,” Craig bluntly pointed out, “why?” 

Even he knew that was bad. He had little tact to begin with. He couldn’t talk his way out of a paper bag, his usual method of punching his way out wouldn’t apply here. If actions could solve this he’d go for that in a heartbeat, but he was unsure of how welcome his touch would be. Or if the mer would rather he just leave him alone at this point.

What caught him off guard wasn’t justified anger at how he was handling this, which Craig had kind of been expecting, but laughter. It surprised him greatly that, instead of getting more upset with him, the mer was laughing. The unique sound of his laughter built, getting louder, while slowly diffusing the awkward tension between them as it grew.

“I-” he couldn’t hold it together, had to speak in between those cute little giggles he’d dissolved into, “I thought you’d-you’d be mad at me again,” he continued, a big smile overtaking his face. Those hands finally slipped away from tugging on hair, one arm moved around his stomach as if he couldn’t contain himself. “I didn’t give you a full answer again, so I thought you’d get angry. Not,” he had to pause again to take a breath between laughs, “not be so straightforward and ask about me!” 

Craig watched, mesmerized at the sight of the amused and relieved mer. He’d done that, made him laugh like that, got him to smile. It was a good feeling, managing to release the pressure from their fight, and get him to stop being nervous. It was cathartic in a way only laughter was.

“Well, um, yeah. Course I asked why you’re upset, I’m not a complete dick. And I’m not gonna get angry at you like that again,” Craig was quick to reassure, “that wasn’t your fault to begin with. I’m sorry I took it out on you, I was just…” Craig missed his chullo hat’s strings, he would’ve tugged on them if it wasn’t gone. His poor hat was likely lost at the bottom of the ocean by now.

As it was, he awkwardly bunched the cloth of his jacket in his hands, unsure how best to explain himself. The merman was owed at least this much for having upset him earlier. “I almost died and everything from today has been super awful - and stressful. Like I got kidnapped, tied up, forced off a boat into the middle of the ocean, drowned for a bit, got saved, then found out mermaids - er, merpeople - are real, and that I was sorta turned into a little bit of one?” 

He sighed heavily, “I dunno, it was just a lot to take in, a lot happened, and I freaked. I put all that on you, blamed you when you did what you had to, to save me. I don’t even think it was about you really, maybe partly, like the fishy parts that I suddenly have, but otherwise - you’re not to blame, and I shouldn’t have blown up at you. I’m sorry for doing that.” 

There, that was a good apology, he hoped. It was the best one he could give at least. If that didn’t show the mer how sincere he was about being sorry, then he didn’t know what would. And god, he didn’t usually talk this much, he felt drained. He’d already been exhausted from all the events that transpired, but emotions and words were sooo hard, they took a lot out of him. 

It was worth it though, he’d wanted to make sure it was clear to the merman that he wasn’t upset with him and wouldn’t get angry like that at him again. The mer gave him a sympathetic look during his explanation, which slowly changed into an understanding smile. That made it even more worth it to him for apologizing and making it crystal clear to the mer.

It seemed Craig got the message across by how sweet a smile he was getting in response. A bit shy, but definitely happy looking. Success! Craig would say it was a job well done.

“Thank you. But you’re wrong,” the mer said softly, “I am at fault. I’m the reason why you have gills and webbed hands.”

“Yeah, but like… if I didn’t have that stuff I’d be dead. I wouldn’t have survived, I’d have drowned because I wouldn’t be able to breathe the sea like I do now, so I’d count it as a win.” As much of a freak he looked, having fish parts, he preferred having them than being dead. The only problem was, if this was permanent or not. Could he ever go home or was he stuck confined to water for the rest of his life since he now had gills.

How to ask was the biggest issue. Did he just blur it out? The mer didn’t seem to mind him being straightforward, he’d laughed at how blunt he’d phrased his other question, so it was worth a shot.

“So about that… it’ll go away right? All this stuff, when I go back on land. I’ll go back to breathing air and not having webbed hands, and being a normal human again, right?” He eyed the mer skeptically for a second, “You do know that humans don’t normally have gills or webbed hands right?” Craig couldn’t help but ask, it was possible he didn’t know that about humans, or much about humans at all. It’s highly likely he’s never interacted with another human before, Craig was his first.

The mer only giggled at his questions. “I know humans don’t look the same and they breathe air on the surface.” While still smiling at him he said, “You’re pretty funny.”

Craig hoped he couldn’t blush with such freezing temperatures. Even if he didn’t feel the cold as much now he knew it was, from experience - before he was… whatever he had become.

This mer was really something. Complimenting him like that out of nowhere. Being so sincere about it too, Craig was no match, if he had the ability to at the moment, he knew his face would be red. He wondered if the mer would even know what it meant. Probably not, so Craig was safe. No need for added awkwardness here, Craig was already full up on it anyway.

“Oh, umm thanks.” See awkwardness at its finest. Didn’t even know how to take a compliment without making it weird. He should probably say something in return. “You seem pretty great yourself, uh, like you’re kind, caring, go around saving people in distress. Just a generally good person. Merperson? Should I clarify that or… ” Seriously, he needed to get a hold of himself, he was babbling. Him. Craig Tucker. He didn’t do that. Trying to get him to talk was like pulling teeth. Only people close to him got his closed off self to say more than a few words at a time.

The merman bit his lip with those sharp teeth, looking happy to receive such praise. “Th-thank you, you’re kind too. Even if you got a bit mad before, you were considerate enough to apologize and not hate me for what I did to you.”

Craig balked at that. He was not kind, he was an asshole. Even his friends thought so. Called him that plenty of times. Kind was not something most would associate with him. At most he was borderline nice. And what was all that about hating him, is that what the mer thought? That Craig hated him because he got angry like that? 

Another thing that needed correcting it seemed. “I don’t hate you, I already said you saved my life by turning me into, well, _this_.” He gestured around his neck with his webbed hands showcasing both. 

He didn’t look convinced, as if he thought Craig must _actually_ hate him or something. Whatever was bothering him, he obviously thought it warranted being hated.

“Ngh, I did it without your consent though. How can you be okay with that? You weren’t earlier when you discovered your features… it’s okay if you want to hate me, what I did… what I forced upon both of us… it goes against so much-” The mer was getting depressed again, his face and weird mer-ears drooping. 

Craig didn’t even understand what it was talking about so it was all the more frustrating. “Look, I don’t hate you okay. I’m not just fucking with you, whatever you did, you saved me. If you hadn’t done it, I’d be dead, right?” Craig asked the mer who nodded his head in agreement. “Right, so, I don’t care that it came without me agreeing to it. Okay, you got that?”

“But I-” He tried to argue only to be shut down by Craig’s hands grabbing his shoulders and giving him a quick shake.

“No. I don’t hate you. I am grateful to you for saving my life, no matter what may have come from it. Even if I am stuck with these webbed hands and gills for the rest of my life. At least I have a life to live.” Craig reinforced again, hoping it would get through to this self-deprecating mer.

“Okay. If you’re sure…” He mumbled, looking up under his lashing at Craig. Flustering him once again with the up close view of those kaleidoscope green eyes. 

He was still touching him, he should stop touching him. Craig nodded his head and, with a hard swallow, took his hands back as naturally as he could make it look.

“But, uh, well you didn’t say anything about it going away or not,” Craig pointed out, redirecting the conversation and hopefully stopping the mer from looking at him like that anymore. 

“It would be nice to understand what’s going on. With me, with the changes, with a whole lotta stuff. I really need some kind of answers now, and you need to start giving them,” Craig flat out stated. He was done with the run around the mer was giving him. If he would just explain, it would make everything easier, and he could show he wasn’t upset with the mer. 

He only wanted some simple answers, that shouldn’t be too much to ask of him. To give it to him straight, let him in on whatever he was, whether it be part mer or human or other, he needed to know.

There was a little trill of understanding. “Ask me what you want to know. I’ll try my best to explain what I can.” He shifted closer with a determined look on his face. “I promise to answer your questions honestly, I won’t lie,” he solemnly swore, then paused for a moment, looked around them and back to Craig. “But I may not have all the answers, my elder would know more, we should go there. I’ll take you to meet and get all the answers you need.”

“Uh, no. That’s okay. We don’t need to go to your elder. Probably best not to really.” Craig would rather not be killed and from everything the mer told him about how the elder responded to humans, his chances were not good if he were to meet the elder. Seemed very anti-human, maybe this mer just didn’t get that, but Craig certainly did. 

“Mmnn, if you’re sure… then I guess, okay, but not here.” His eyes darted around them.

“What? Why not here? Is something wrong?” Craig was getting a bit unnerved by the nervous glances the mer was giving their surroundings. They’d been out here in the same place for a while.

“No, not yet anyway. Let's just move first, go somewhere else, somewhere safer. It’s not good to be in such open waters. We’re too exposed out here like this.” He was quick to grab hold of him again, and without warning, they took off. Speeding through the water like a star shooting across the sky.

“Oh shit!” He’d been unprepared, but was quick to latch onto the mer. Wrapping his legs around him and grasping his shoulders.

He grappled the mer into a tight hold, plastering himself against him and hanging on for dear life as the mer swam them faster than he’d gone before. He was unaware the mer could go that fast, he must’ve been going slower earlier to not jostle Craig while he was unconscious. How considerate of him, not wanting to cause harm to Craig by giving him whiplash, something he no longer apparently feared doing judging by the incredible speed they were swimming at.

They quickly reached a narrow split in some rock outcroppings. The two of them squeezing through the gap. They’d arrived at a more secluded and protected area. Stuck between the rocks, where it was smaller toward the top where they came in through, but bigger at the bottom where Craig was set down. 

“Here, this should work,” he said as he gently let go of Craig to allow him to stand on his own.

There was enough room here for them to move around a bit. Craig was able to stand on solid ground, or sandy ground at least. The merman moved to sit on one of the flatter stones in front of him, tail bending over the side with the very end just brushing the sand, waiting patiently for Craig to begin asking his questions. Man, his tail was long, Craig hadn’t given much thought to it before, but it was big. Made sense he could swim so fast with such a powerful looking tail.

This place he’d swam them to was definitely safer. Would be harder for something to find them in or get to them for sure.

Craig hadn’t really been thinking about something getting them since waking up, he’d neglected to, though it may have something to do with thinking he was already gotten to begin with. Turned out alright, with a merperson existing and saving him, not a different predatory getting him, but he’d forgotten to fear the creatures down here while with the mer. 

He’d be lying if he said it just slipped his mind, it was more like he simply didn’t have as much fear. He felt, well, safe with the merman there. It was inexplicable. At first he’d been suspicious and untrusting, but the mer proved to be good and caring, not out to get him or trying to hurt him. It was definitely a plus that he didn’t want to eat him. 

Ultimately, he should’ve been watching out better, but the mer seemed to have their backs and had been doing that for the both of them without Craig even realizing. Why did this mer seem to care so much about him, go out of his way to help and keep Craig safe? Was it really that the mer was truly so kindhearted or was it something more?

Urgh, more questions. There were already so many concerning this mer, his brain just kept generating more. At least the mer had said he would give him answers now. He’d be taking full advantage of this window of opportunity to get all his questions answered. He’d better be prepared, Craig had a _lot_ to ask.

But he was exhausted beyond belief, nearly dying takes a lot out of a person. So does having a meltdown and then having to deal with the emotional fallout. He felt dead on his feet. Ha! Almost, but not quite ocean, it’d have to do better if it wanted to kill him.

Still, he was sore, his head was mostly clear again, but he was burnt out. He moved to sit on the floor next to the mers tail. Walking through water was difficult, easier to swim that little distance, though what he ended up doing was a weird hop propulsion thing. It was kinda fun. 

Reminded him of when he was a kid and played like he was an astronaut exploring other planets with different gravity. Made him smile at the memories it brought up, good times, simpler. Not filled with near death experiences and so many complications and questions. Well, he’d always been pretty inquisitive, so maybe questions were still on the list. It was how he discovered his love for space to begin with, by being curious. 

He felt the day's events really catching up to him as he sat down in the sand by the gently moving tail. He just wanted to close his eyes for a minute, gather his thoughts and questions he wanted to discuss with the mer. 

In one moment he laid his head back against the smoothed rock behind him, the next he was out like a light. The last thing he knew was a soft touch and garbled mellow sounds he was weirdly used to after just a short time with this mer. He barely registered it before his body went lax and he nodded off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Craig is sleepy. It was already late at night when he got kidnapped and he went through an ordeal, he deserve some good rest. On the plus side, he's got an awesome mer with him to keep him safe! Hope you all enjoyed. See you next week.
> 
> Thank you for leaving kudos and/or comments.


	6. What's in a Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again. Not sure how exciting this chapter is... I just didn't want to make it too long, or drag it out a bunch. At least they get a bit closer.

His mind was slow to wake. His dream stretched as long as it was able. He was content to stay asleep. Plenty of mornings he’d done just that, lazed about in bed until the sun wandered into afternoon sky. Uncaring of the passage of time on a lazy weekend where he could relax and drift in and out of sleep. 

This time wasn’t like those. For many reasons. One being, he felt the uncomfortable hardness of what he slept on, which wasn’t what his bed usually felt like. He was used to softness he sunk into, not awful stiffness. Even moving to get into a more comfortable position didn’t help. 

Registering he was not in his bed sent his mind to work figuring out where he was. He knew it meant he was elsewhere, likely staying over at a friends house, or maybe he fell off his bed - something he hadn’t done since he was a young child. Opening his eyes revealed exactly where he was, and why. Reality caught up with him like a punch to the face. He was on a rock, in the ocean, lost, and judging by the lack of a mer nearby, once again alone. Just, hopefully not abandoned.

He closed his eyes again, laid back down on the rock, and wished this was a nightmare, that he’d wake up next time in his room at home. He pretended for a minute before forcing himself up to brave the undersea world once more. It didn’t do any good to dwell on it, and wishing certainly wouldn’t help him.

With a heavy sigh he pushed himself up into a sitting position on the rock he last saw the mer sitting on. He must’ve put him up on it after he fell asleep. 

Speaking of the merman, he wondered where he’d run off to. Had he really been left, by himself, with no clue what to do, or what was going on… or what happened to the mer?

Maybe he had to go fight off something in a huge bloody battle… unlikely given they hid away in this space to avoid any critters attacking them, and he didn’t like the idea that the merman might’ve gotten hurt. Still it begged the question: where was the mer?

Craig decided to swim up and poke his head out of the gap they’d originally come in from to get a look around. More light was flooding in from up there now, meaning the sun was up and it was daytime. Probably had been for a while, Craig wouldn’t know, he’d been asleep for who knows how long.

Breaching above the gap, Craig took a look around. Nothing much had changed other than it being brighter, it was still the sea in all its horrible glory. He didn’t have anything against the sea itself, other than with its attempts at drowning him, he was more worried about its inhabitants. 

He’d seen nature documentaries, the shit that lived farther in the ocean was scary as fuck. It didn’t even have to be the big or giant creatures, some small little things could easily fuck you up, even without meaning to. Well, they would mean to if they attacked, but it was more the poison from pokey spines or being stung. Like when accidentally treading upon somethings territory, or where they were hidden in some part of a rock or under the sand, or so many other places and ways they could conceal themselves without you knowing, then come at you from anywhere, mostly in defense of themselves or home. 

Craig didn’t want a chunk taken out of him any more than he wanted to be poisoned or stung just to die a horribly painful death. He’d had enough pain the previous night, he deserved a reprieve. If he was going to die by anything while here, he certainly hoped they gave him a quick death.

He almost wished he’d never watched those documentaries. Especially the ones that featured deep sea creatures. They were some ugly motherfuckers and more terrifying than the seemingly normal looking fish that could kill you with a sting. They were already nightmare fuel when he’d watched them from behind a screen, he’d rather sit out on meeting them in person. Hopefully he never had to venture that deep, ever. 

He wished the mer would get back here quickly. Maybe he’d gotten lost, didn’t know where he’d stashed Craig and was currently frantically looking for him. Didn’t seem that way, but he couldn’t see the mer anywhere nearby. God, he better not have been abandoned. 

Guess he could just swim up to the water's surface, look for land and head toward it in hopes of finding his way back to civilization. That would likely take a while, like a long ass time given he was about 97.5% sure he was way far out in the ocean. Not only from the distance the yacht had taken them out to, but the mer swimming them to who knows where. He’d be more likely to exhaust himself trying to reach land and die from something finding him easy prey, than make it all the way back to land. The safer bet was to remain here.

Besides, if the mer was only gone for a short while and was coming back, it’d be Craig who left him instead. Then he’d feel like a dick, and probably hurt the mers feelings on top of that.

So Craig resigned himself to sinking back down to the rock he’d been left on and waiting. He figured if he didn’t show after a while, he’d go with plan ‘find land’, and say fuck it about staying put waiting for a merman he had no proof was coming back. He’d just be smart, not expend all his energy too quickly so as to have some chance of making it all the way back to land.

He pushed back any despairing thoughts about his situation and about his friends and family, and used his time wisely focusing on the questions he was owed answers to.

It didn’t take long, while he was busy ruminating on all the things he wanted explanations for, before the mer made an appearance up top. At first, it only looked like a shadow blocking the light above, luckily Craig had been able to make out the shape and soon enough the features of the mer as he swam down, heart attack avoided.

Craig was glad he hadn’t been abandoned, and he hadn’t decided to just leave - at least without saying another thanks and goodbye to the merman that’d saved him.

The mer lit up upon seeing Craig. Happy to see him sitting up and feeling better, he expressed such in a greeting chirp. “Hi! You woke up. It’s good to see you again!” Craig just blinked at the cheerfulness and returned his own grunt of hello.

It didn’t seem to phase him, as he moved closer and continued on chipper and full of energy, talking a lot all at once. “I wasn’t sure when you’d wake up, you were very deep asleep, I even moved you and you didn’t wake. I’m glad to see you looking better than before. I hope I didn’t scare you by being gone for a bit. I thought you might be hungry, so I got us some food! Hunted them for us both,” he proudly stated, displaying the two fish in both hands, four in total.

Raw, newly killed, dead fish that he was expecting Craig to eat. Raw. Without any cooking of any sort, or seasoning. He didn’t know what he should’ve expected, he was underwater, couldn’t exactly start a fire to cook with. 

He felt his gorge rise at just the thought of eating the fresh bloody catch. It’d probably be for the best if he skipped out on having any meals while down here. Safer, and far less gross, to just wait until he got back on land to eat as much as his heart, or in this case stomach, desired. He was pretty sure he could go a few days without eating.

Glancing up at the mer, he was treated to his expectant face as he offered a hand full of fish to him. Aw fuck, he was gonna eat the raw fish wasn’t he… 

He couldn’t exactly turn him down when he was looking so happy and proud of himself, offering him a meal he’d got for him. Shit. 

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, he’d had sushi before, that had raw fish, so it shouldn’t be all that different, right?

Still, so, so disgusting. He took only one fish, given the confused head tilt he received, merfolk must eat a lot. Craig must look weird only taking one to eat, considering the mer brought four to share between them. They weren’t overly large fish, but they were big enough, the one he grabbed had to be held up by both of his hands and had silver scales with some yellowing at the top. 

One alone could have fed a few people for a nice seafood dinner. Had it been cooked and nicely seasoned, Craig would’ve been happy to eat it. As it was, he was more than a little reluctant to chow down.

Looking at it, he suppressed the queasiness from the dead, still bloody, fish and steeled himself to take a bite. If for nothing else, than to appease the mer who seemed to be waiting to make sure Craig was pleased with what he’d gotten for him.

“Thanks,” Craig said flatly as he brought the fish close to his mouth. The merman only smiled wider and remained watching him, waiting in anticipation for Craig to eat. 

Craig wasn’t starving or anything, he could refuse and be fine for a day or two without food, and given that the food was raw fish, he was inclined to do just that, but he couldn’t. Not with the mer looking at him like that. 

When had he become such a pushover? Ah well, didn’t matter. 

He stuck the gross dead thing in his mouth, bit down across its scales, took some effort in yanking off a piece, then chewed and swallowed it down. Ignoring the sliminess, the absolutely awful feel of its clearly uncooked bouncy flesh between his teeth, the blood on his tongue he could taste, and the overall ickiness of the whole thing, he tried desperately to imagine it as sushi or cooked fish he’d eaten back home. Didn’t really work, but he’d given it his best shot.

The mer seemed pleased with him, satisfied he’d eaten what he’d caught for him. He placed the others down on the rock Craig was sitting on, sat himself next to Craig and picked one of them up himself. 

Then, with those sharp as fuck teeth, the mer absolutely devoured his own fish. His teeth didn’t seem to have much problem ripping through flesh, unlike Craig. Blunt teeth were not as useful in tearing apart the meat, not that Craig wanted to eat a lot of this particular meal to begin with. 

It was actually a bit sickening to watch the other eat, uncaring of the blood, bones, or anything else, the mer attacked his meal with ferocity which shouldn’t have been so surprising to Craig. Seeing as the mer was a predator and his fish the prey.

He was able to take a few more bites before thinking his stomach wouldn’t tolerate more, and not because he was full. The merman, on the other hand, was already inhaling his second fish. Craig offered up the rest of his own to the mer who looked at him quizzically.

“Are you not hungry?” He asked, looking between the hardly eaten fish and the human who seemed green around the gills. “Are you feeling alright?”

“No, not hungry anymore,” Craig answered, “I’ll be fine.” Just so long as he didn’t keep eating, he’d be great.

He was treated to a skeptical look, but slowly the mer took the partially eaten fish from him, waiting to make sure whether Craig really wanted it or not. “Okay, then thank you,” he said before working on the fish Craig handed over to him, “It’s not good to let food go to waste.” 

“You eat a lot, huh?” Craig rudely asked, looking directly at the mer who sat next to him, unable to look away like one of those morbidly curious people watching a wreck. 

He earned another musical laugh for the blunt comment, making his own lips quirk upward. “I think you just don’t eat enough!” He rebutted.

“Hmm,” Craig hummed, “Nah, I eat a regular human amount.” 

Though, not this time, since he was close to hurling after each bite - another thing he would not be informing the mer about.

“Oh, I wouldn’t know. I guess humans eat less?” The mer seemed surprised to learn humans didn’t eat three fish with ease like he did.

“Less than you apparently,” Craig smirked, teasing the mer who made - what he interpreted as - an indignant sound.

“All my people eat like I do, I don’t eat anymore than they do!” He protested. “Though, I did have extra… but I thought you’d eat more, how was I to know humans eat so little?” 

Craig was not about to tell him that he was disgusted by eating the raw fish, that’d insult him.

He saw him glance over at the last remaining fish that would go to waste if not eaten. “Rrr, we could save that one for later. I’m full, and you’re done too, but I don’t want to have to leave it. I killed it already, it’d be a waste. I was taught not to be wasteful.”

Well, hey, at least merfolk were good at being conservative with their resources. “Sounds good. So, can I ask you some things now?” Craig directed the conversation away from dead fish and eating, still feeling nauseous.

“Ngh, right, yes, I did promise to answer your questions didn’t I,” the mer said as he angled himself towards Craig, preparing to have this chat face to face.

“Yeah you did,” he said in affirmation, receiving a nod as the go-ahead, “First things first, what’s your name?” This whole time he’d just been referring to him as ‘the mer’ or a ‘merman’ he’d rather have a name to go with it. 

He blinked those big eyes at him, caught off guard by the question. “Gah! What?”

“Your name, you do have one don’t you? Or do merpeople not give names, do you have a different system or something?” Craig asked, bewildered by the mers startled stare, surely it was a simple matter, wasn’t it?

“We-we have names! Of course we have names. Wait, you have a name too then, yes?” He bid, his own curiosity peeking through.

“Yeah, so what’s yours?” Craig drawled, he wanted his answer first before giving his own name.

“Oh! It’s-” what followed was a series of sounds that culminated in something resembling a name. Sounding like a _tweet_ - **song-dolphin squeak** -click that together approximately came out to “ _T_ **wee** k” When in all actuality it was closer to _T_ **wwweeeeee** k, but his brain processed it as best it could, and it would be far easier to say ‘Tweek’, not whatever the real way to say it was.

“Well that’s quite a, um, interesting name, uh, Tweek…” Craig watched for his reaction to him saying his name for the first time, and likely butchering it quite terribly with his human speech. He knew he hadn’t said it right, as if he could even come close, but the mer - Tweek - didn’t seem displeased. In fact he couldn’t contain his smile while pressing his lips together. “What,” Craig demanded.

“You say it so weird!” He burst out. “Your human tongue is so odd, the sounds are vastly different from my own.” Yeah, Craig got that pretty damn well at this point, he’d been hearing the disconnect between the noises Tweek made and what words his brain relayed to him since the first time he woke up while in his arms. 

“Oh, uh, sorry?” It came out more of a question than a statement, but Craig wasn’t sure how to respond. He knew he couldn’t replicate the name, not without sounding like a dying cow or something equally terrible, this was the best he could do.

“No! No, I didn’t mean it was bad! It’s just different. Something I’ll have to get used to,” Tweek assured quickly.

“Yeah, well, I doubt you’ll be able to say my name properly either.” Craig rolled his eyes, smirking at just the thought of how weird his name was gonna sound in the mers mouth.

“Ooo, what’s your name? You didn’t tell me, I told you! You should tell me too. If I say it wrong, just correct me. I’ll try really hard to get it right,” he promised, resolute. 

He was honestly so sweet. Craig didn’t know how such a creature could somehow be so cute and sweet like that, but Tweek managed it. “I’m Craig.” He gave his name and watched Tweek process it, even squinting as if to figure out how best to say it back.

When he attempted it, it did not come out right. Not that Craig expected him to get it, but it was still fun to watch him try. “ _C_ **rrrraaaaaii** -” Tweeks first try was a mix of clicks, song, and a bit of a whine, ending in an almost moaned sound. Craig had to hold back from laughing, and couldn’t help but smile at the strange noises meant to be his name. He failed rather miserably with the subsequent attempts as well.

He kept trying, hoping to get it right, Craig went along with it, guiding him. Said his own name a bunch of times, to the point he was starting to think it didn’t even sound like a word anymore. He finally called him off his ‘Craig’ practice, as they’d wasted a good deal of time on it.

Tweek pouted a little, clearly wanting to perfect saying his name, and frustrated that he couldn’t, but Craig didn’t care enough. Tweek could call him Craig in his unique manner. Besides, he was going to call him Tweek, and likely would never have the ability to say ‘Tweek’ the way it was supposed to be said, or sung. 

He’d much rather get back to getting answers to the questions burning in his brain. “Don’t be so upset about it, it’s not that important anyway. I can understand you well enough, and I think it's the same for you when I call you Tweek,” he shrugged nonchalant, “so just let it go.” Craig waved away the issue like it was nothing, which didn’t seem entirely appreciated by the mer, but Tweek didn’t argue and just let it drop.

Craig stretched, getting up from the sitting position he'd been in for so long while trying to teach Tweek how a human would speak his name. Tweek seemed a little restless himself, and seeing Craig move around, he too got up then swam a few laps in the small space they were allotted between the rocks. Both needed that small break. 

Craig watched in fascination as Tweek swam fluidly, easily, through the water. He glided, twirled, and even flipped, showing off in front of Craig's amazed eyes. He couldn’t help but be captivated by the performance. There was beauty under the sea after all, and it appeared Tweek had all of it.

Forcing himself out of his stupor when Tweek slowed to a stop in front of where he stood, Craig looked at Tweek who floated there appearing ethereal to him, and felt like doing something crazy. He held himself back from grabbing the mer, he’d only spook him and cause unnecessary problems if he let his mind go down that road, and even more so if he acted on his thoughts.

To get back to business, Craig cleared his throat, unintentionally startling the mer who hadn’t been around humans before and probably didn’t know what that meant. “Did that scare you?” He teased Tweek for jumping at the sound of him clearing his throat. 

“N-no,” he lied badly. Then appeared to feel guilty for lying immediately after and admitted “yes,” while hanging his head.

“Jeez, you’re so honest,” Craig commented offhand, he wasn’t even being sarcastic. He didn’t need to actually admit he’d been startled by Craig, not just because he was clearly a terrible liar, but because he didn’t have to be so completely honest. Craig certainly wasn’t, at least not all the time. 

“What reason do I have to lie?” Tweek asked openly, head tilted to the side. 

Craig could see why he’d lie when embarrassed, but even then he’d confessed the truth a second later. Guess Tweek really didn’t feel the need to lie. Craig wondered if that applied to everyone, or just to him. Did Tweek truly trust him that much?

“Well, shit, you got me there.” Craig shrugged. Lies did tend to be more trouble than they're worth, keeping up with them, hiding the truth, and so on. All of it became too troublesome, so Craig did tend not to care enough to lie about most anything. But there were some things he would lie about, or not tell anyone. Lots of people had secrets, things they kept hidden even if it meant lying their asses off to keep it from being uncovered.

If Tweek was so honest he wouldn’t even lie when embarrassed, Craig was impressed. That was a very courageous thing to do, not ever lie. But also dangerous if he ever told the truth to the wrong people, people that would use it against him, or to their advantage.

“You really meant it when you said you wouldn’t lie about the things I ask about,” he said awed at the integrity of the mer.

“Yes, of course. I won’t lie to you, Craig,” Tweek vowed, still not saying his name right.

“Just to me? Do you regularly lie otherwise, Tweek?” It was pretty fun messing with him. He could see him get flustered as he quickly defended himself.

“No! I don’t lie. Mostly,” he admitted, “I know it’s necessary sometimes, but I don’t like it. Lying is hard and awful, and it makes me feel bad for doing it at all. I especially don’t want to lie to you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Craig asked, confused by Tweek singling him out. “Why am I any different? What am I special or something?” He snickered at the caught look on his face. Yet he was unprepared for the straightforward response he got.

“Yes,” Tweek quietly confessed.

His eyes widened from that little revelation. “What? I am? I was just fucking with you,” Craig was quick to downplay the implications that had.

“You are,” Tweek told him point blank. Looking saddened by Craig’s reaction.

Craig released a small nervous laugh, “You’re just messing with me right? You got me for a second there.” The hurt in the mers eyes at his words was answer enough.

“You wanted answers, and I told you I wouldn’t lie. This is me telling you the truth,” Tweek emphasized, before looking down and away from Craig. 

“Okay.” Craig swallowed thickly, nervous and hesitant to even ask, but he needed to know. “Then, how am I special to you Tweek?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, finally learning each others names. Getting ever closer. Hahaha. 
> 
> Am I mean for ending it there? Probably. They're gonna have to have a looong conversation after that. Like take a whole chapter to go through it. Until next time...
> 
> Thank you for any comments or kudos. I appreciate them.


	7. One and Only

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty then, here we go. I hope it lives up to your expectations. 
> 
> I wonder how many of you already knew, or predicted this. If not, it makes me wonder what you thought was going on. I'd love to know!
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who comments and leaves kudos. You all are great.

“Because you- because I,” his hands shot out toward him imploringly, as if to ask him to understand without having to say the words. When Craig failed to do so, he let out a frustrated noise and began doing the fish equivalent of pacing. Moving back and forth around in the space as Craig watched on, bewildered and anxious to figure out what the hell he was referring to.

None of this helped to explain anything at all and Craig was left with no answer still. All he could think was it had to be some kind of mistake.

Like really? Him, special? And to a merman of all things. Why? How? 

That was the million dollar question wasn’t it. One that unnerved him. His stomach, which had finally settled from breakfast, was once again twisted up. This time in uneasy knots of trepidation. 

The mer didn’t look much better, clearly apprehensive about telling him. He was obviously agitated by the question. He kept shooting side glances at Craig before shifting away again. His webbed hands clenching and unclenching, going upward like they wanted to find a home up there, but were forced back down again. 

The mer’s own anxiety over it was worsening Craig’s worry. He’d very much like to know what he meant, why he saw Craig in that way, and how. Just how. 

How come? How was he special to the mer? How was this his life? 

At first he’d assumed this had something to do with why he had fish parts now, but that didn’t fully explain the rest of Tweek’s dodgy behavior. Plus, Craig already discovered said fish parts and talked it out with him, so that shouldn’t be an issue anymore. He should know Craig wasn’t gonna get upset with him about that again. 

Whatever reason Craig was deemed special had to be something else, and that was worrisome. Because he didn’t know what that meant. For him, for the merman, for anything. 

People tried to tell him not knowing was part of the fun, he called bullshit on that real fast. Not knowing just made you ignorant, put you in terrible situations more often than not, and then made you unable to deal with the situation at hand - i.e. being involved with Cartman’s group, just about ever. The most recent time resulting in him getting kidnapped and dumped into the ocean, without even getting the satisfaction of knowing why it happened in the first place.

Or right now, where he was stuck not knowing and having to rely on a once thought mythical creature. 

Craig would much rather go with the saying ‘knowledge is power’. 

Except the times when you’re better off not knowing. Like when it came with way too much danger or _idiocy_ (again see Cartman and company). In that case, his motto was better suited as ‘mind your own business’. Like when it was easier and less troublesome to just walk away and not get involved in something, even if it meant giving up gaining knowledge. 

Though maybe the simple classic ‘fuck off’ summed it up best, it was his favorite in any case.

Either way, he couldn’t up and leave, nor could he ignore this. So, yeah, he needed Tweek to answer him. He wasn’t about to say who cares, and live the rest of his life without knowing. Tweek obviously believed he was special for a damn good reason, one that was causing him so much turmoil over telling Craig. 

The frustrated motions and distressed noises he kept making in increasing increments was enough proof. It showed how hard this was for him and how much effort he was putting in to best tell Craig something which must be pretty significant. 

Finally, after Craig had begun to lose patience, the mer flicked a quick glance over to him then back away again, stilling in his movements, and quietly asked, “You swear you won’t hate me?” A plea more than a question. One given while faced away as if he couldn’t bring himself to look at Craig, worried the answer would’ve changed.

“Back to this again?” Craig sighed, rolling his eyes at the redundant question. “No, I don’t hate you, and I have no reason to.” 

He wanted to beat his head against a damn wall. Why did dealing with others have to be so difficult all the time? Wasn’t there some cheat code he could have to just breeze through all the hard parts? 

Oh how he wished, it would certainly come in handy right about now. But since he didn’t have that, he’d have to navigate the mer’s doubts with his _spectacular_ communication skills.

“Ngh… this-this might give you a reason to...” he trailed off sadly, his nerves making a claw reach for his hair once more.

“Fine. Fine, if I promise not to hate you will you just calm down and tell me?” Craig offered, less worried about the reason. The mer appeared to have issues with thinking everything he did was going to end with Craig hating him, so this was probably just all being blown way out of proportion. 

Craig kinda felt stupid for being so worked up about it. Tweek had looked so upset about his dismissal when he’d said he was special to him, that he’d gotten the impression this was some huge thing. Now though, it seemed more likely that Craig was worrying himself over implications that weren’t there. 

Being special to someone didn’t have to mean what Craig had momentarily thought it meant. To Tweek it was probably just that he was a human he’d used his mer-powers on to change into a weird hybrid, and now was upset over the thought that Craig would get mad that it was permanent or something of the sort.

To be honest, if it was permanent, that was pretty much his biggest fear. That whatever Tweek did, it couldn’t be undone. After all, he did plan on going back home to his friends and family. He wasn’t sure how he would swing that if this was irreversible.

“Mmmnn, I-I’ll try,” Tweek said, actually looking at him now, but not any more relaxed. In fact, he got even more tensed up as he faced him. “I just-I want to preface this by telling you first that, well, that I’m sorry,” he apologized sincerely, giving him those big green eyes again, like a guilty puppy. 

It might’ve been adorable had it not made Craig’s stomach drop. This was more serious than just Tweek freaking out over nothing. He’d been wrong about being wrong, Tweek apparently wasn’t blowing it out of proportion, Craig was right to worry in the first place.

It really was going to be about how this was never going away and he couldn’t actually go back on land again, wasn’t it. Shit. Fuck. Son of a bitch.

He wasn’t ready for this. He didn’t want to be told that. But it didn’t really matter what he wanted, it mattered what the truth was, and Tweek wasn’t going to lie.

“If I had gotten to you sooner, maybe none of this would’ve happened. Maybe I could’ve gotten you somewhere humans could survive and wait for others of your kind to come rescue you,” Tweek mused, “B-but there wasn’t any land nearby, and your kind already abandoned you to the sea,” he was quick to clarify. 

Craig remembered him telling him a bit about this before. When he kept giving him guilty looks and telling him if he could’ve saved him a different way he would’ve.

“I wasn’t sure at first, that’s the thing. You humans, sometimes you play in our waters. Leave your boats and go back to them when you're done with your visit,” he implored for Craig to understand, see his point of view, “With you, that wasn’t the case. I didn’t know that at the time. When I first saw you drop into the ocean, I stayed away. I was going to leave, I almost left!” He passionately declared with a wide sweeping motion, “And you would’ve died!”

His other hand still tangled in his hair gave a harsh tug. His words came ever faster. Quickly devolving into a frenzied panic, “But-but I noticed you kept submerging and your people left you. They took off without you! It was heartless and I couldn’t leave you to suffer the fate of humans who end up alone in our waters. You don’t breathe here, you could’ve died, and it’s like they didn’t even care, they left you anyway,” he snarled menacingly. His words were practically melding together with the speed he spoke. 

His hair tugging worsened as he went on. The wild look he was giving Craig was alarming. “What else was I supposed to do? Leaving you wasn’t an option! I couldn’t. I just couldn’t, okay, do you understand that?” He asked, continuing in the same vicious manner, accompanied by a violent tug to his hair. He didn’t appear to actually want an answer to any of the questions, but Craig had to stop this self-destructive spiral he was headed down.

“Yeah. Yeah Tweek, I can understand that. Okay? So it’s okay, just take a few breaths, calm down. Can you do that, can you calm down for me?” Craig tried gently as possible to coax him away from any further outbursts and causing himself more pain. He carefully took hold of his wrist, making sure not to grab or hurt his fin. His wrist easily fit in his hand, he could wrap his fingers all the way around it. With a gentle tug, he tried to remove his claw from where it was holding his hair in an iron grip. 

Tweek seemed to struggle in pulling himself back together, his emotions all over the place and his anxiety doing the opposite of helping him to calm down as Craig desired. He let Craig take his hand from his hair, slowly releasing the strands he’d held captive in a tight grip. 

Craig kept a hold of his wrist as he waited for Tweek to compose himself enough to continue on. Hopefully without the panicking, hair pulling, and fast paced talking that was hard to keep up with. It was awful to watch him do that to himself, for him to go through that because he was worried about Craig’s reaction to his story. 

Craig didn’t want to see him like that, and wanted to reassure him that everything was okay. Even if Tweek told him bad news, even if it was true that he’d never be able to reverse whatever he’d done to enable Craig to survive in the sea, Craig didn’t want to hurt Tweek or let him hurt himself either.

“I couldn’t bring myself to leave you,” he started back up in a volume just above a whisper, “I know I should have. That’s what we’re told to do. But I couldn’t.” He looked down, seemingly ashamed of not following the rule set by his elder Craig remembered Tweek telling him about before. “You were struggling so much… so I swam closer instead of away.”

He took a moment to breathe and gather himself to go on. “I’m sorry I couldn’t reach you sooner. I swam to you as quick as I could. When I reached you, you were moving around so much. I couldn’t get near enough to you with your two tails flailing like they were and all your wriggling,” he defended his actions, and lack of speed in helping him.

Craig snorted, “My what? Did you just say my two tails?” He grinned wide, unable to stop himself even with the seriousness of the situation and the taken aback look on the mer’s face. “They’re called legs.” He pointed down to them. “They’re not tails, humans have legs.”

“Oh,” was all Tweek said on the matter.

“Yeah. Didn’t mean to interrupt your story, but - tails. I mean come on, _tails_ ,” he snorted again. 

The embarrassed mer responded with, “It’s not like I know. I never even met a human before you. We aren’t allowed to go near you. I just assumed they were tails, weird tails made for land.” He looked down at the two of them, “How are they any different?” 

“What, you wanna see?” Craig teased. 

“Yes, no, maybe- ngh - I don’t know.” Very indecisive this one. 

“Heh, I don’t mind if you want to take a peak,” he offered with a smirk.

“I’ve seen some human tails- er - whatever you call them. Before, when I’ve gone too close to humans that were in the water or on the shore. I’ve never been seen though, I made sure!” He insisted, assuring Craig he’d been careful.

“Well that’s good, wouldn’t want humans finding out you guys are real,” Craig commented offhand. Tweek just blinked rapidly at that comment. “Anyway,” he bypassed the confusion on the mer’s face, “I was struggling a bunch and you couldn’t get near me, so then what?” He prompted Tweek to carry on his story.

“You almost hit me,” Tweek said, “I had to move back away again and wait for you to settle down some. When you did, I tried to get to you again, this time successfully. The only problem was, you were dying,” he mewled remorsefully, “I didn’t have any time to do anything else. You have to understand, there was nowhere to take you in time and your people abandoned you,” he repeated.

“Ya, I got that.” Craig couldn’t say anything against that. It was true, they’d left him. Not by his friends choice but by the drug cartel that had captured all of them. 

He tried to prepare himself for what he might be told next. This was where things changed after all. 

“Rrr, right. So, I saved you. The only way I could. At least, the only way I could think to. I told you before I didn’t know if it would even work. I wasn’t lying, I didn’t know for sure. There were stories, legends about us interacting with humans. In them, it seemed others have done this with your kind before, so I thought it was possible that it might work again.” 

“So you used your mer-maigc and saved me,” Craig stated straight faced, “got it.”

“What? No. It’s not- it’s not magic, Craig!” Tweek exclaimed, sounding offended.

“Hmm, doubtful. Seems like magic to me,” he gestured with his webbed hand, the one not still holding Tweek’s wrist, at his gills, “I mean how else did I get these, if not magic?”

“Urgh,” Tweek gave a frustrated noise, then blurted out, “because I gave you my one! That’s how,” he said it like that was it, end of conversation, as if it explained everything.

It did _not_. Nothing was explained. And in no way was it the end of the conversation. Tweek had a lot of explaining to do.

“You’re one?” His brows furrowed as he attempted to understand.

“Yes, my one.” Tweek did not elaborate further.

“You’re one what?” Craig prompted.

“My one, the only one I have to give. I gave it to you. What don’t you get?” He tilted his head in that familiar gesture of confusion, not grasping why Craig didn’t immediately know what he meant.

“Uh… like all of it?” 

The mer sagged, his whole body drooping. “I knew you wouldn’t get it. I thought maybe you had something like it. But I guess humans just don’t.” 

“Well sorry to disappoint you, but no probably not,” Craig rolled his eyes, being a sarcastic little shit, “humans don’t exactly have magic that turns people into other creatures.”

“It’s not! Argh, I told you it’s not magic Craig!” He protested loudly.

Even if Tweek insisted it wasn’t magic, Craig didn’t know what else to call it. Essentially he’d been given some gift of the sea or something. He’d acquired the ability to breathe water and survive in a climate entirely different from his own on the surface. 

“Uh-huh, if you say so…” Aw the joys of messing with someone. It was amusing to see how he’d react. The way he got frustrated or flustered. Tweek reacted the best. Plus, it was fun to tease him a bit.

This time, he didn’t rise to the bait. Instead he went solemn, quiet and soft, while trying to explain once more. “Craig... it’s- I’m telling you the truth. Each of us can only ever give our gift to one. I used it on you, to try and save you. It worked, you lived because I gave you my gift of one.” 

“O-kay? Thank you, for uh, giving me your gift then.” He wasn’t sure what else to say after being told that. He didn’t know what being given it meant for him anyway, beyond having fish parts now, nothing else had changed. At least, for him. Judging by the way the mer was looking at him, it was a far bigger deal than Craig thought.

Tweek’s eyes darted back and forth, searching his face, “You’re not getting it are you? But then, why should you… I guess I just hoped you would.”

“Yeah, no, I mean, I get that you did something - gave me something - and now I’m like this,” he gestured to himself.

“I know I’m not the best choice,” he said self-deprecating, “and one you didn’t even get to make yourself. And I’m so sorry for doing it without your knowledge or permission,” he was again apologizing for essentially saving Craig’s life, he wished he’d stop doing that, “But if I hadn’t-” 

“I would’ve died, I know,” Craig finished for him, “You did what you did because it was the only choice you had to attempt to save a random human that came into your territory and started drowning,” he sighed tired of having the same conversation again, “I don’t blame you, I’m not upset with you, and I don’t hate you, okay? Everything’s fine. I’m alive. It worked. You saved me. Happy?”

He didn’t look happy, in fact he looked more upset while frowning. “You still aren’t getting it.” 

No, no he wasn’t. If Tweek would just tell him that’d be great.

“I tied myself to you,” Tweek went for a different approach, used words he thought may make more sense to a human, “When I tried to rescue you, it was the only way I knew had a chance to save you.” He paused and shared a long look with a bewildered Craig.

Still sounded like magic.

“So, I did it.” He straightened his back, determined to face what he’d done head on, amazing Craig more and more as he went on, “I broke a sacred tradition, went against everything I’ve been told about not going near or getting involved with humans,” he looked Craig directly in the eyes and declared unabashedly, “Then I kissed you to seal it. Now we are bonded through the gift. You can survive under the water with me, even as a human.”

“Uh, what? Wait, you kissed me?” Why he focused on that out of everything he’d just been told, he didn’t want to self-examine at this point in time.

“Ngh, yes. Intimacy helps to ensure it takes hold. I had no other basis to use in favor of my gift binding me to you. I didn’t know you, had never even spoken to you, how else would you suggest I sealed it?” 

“No, that’s-that’s cool. You kissed me, tied yourself to me, sure,” Craig tried to play it off smoothly, failing in a most spectacularly awkward manner.

“It went against so much to do so.” 

Jeez Tweek, out there being a rebel, bucking the system. Interacting with humans, helping them, binding them, just how much trouble was Tweek gonna get in because of him?

“But it’s done now, it cannot be undone.” Tweek finished his speech. 

“It can’t?” Shit, he knew it. He was stuck like this.

“No, I’m sorry,” Tweek apologized again, “We only get the one to give. Once given, it can’t be taken back.” 

“I can never go back on land again then, can I…” Craig trailed off sadly, frowning. “I’ll never be normal again.”

“Oh, I- I’m not sure,” Tweek pondered, “You are borrowing so maybe…” 

Craig perked up looking at him with renewed hope. “Is there a way? Some way to break the bond and return me to land?”

Tweek’s eyes shadowed, “You really don’t like being bonded to me…”

“What? No that’s not what I meant,” Craig said in an attempt to placate him, but Tweek didn’t look convinced. “Come on Tweek, you know I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant, I want to be able to go back home, you know?” He didn’t mean to make Tweek feel bad. “It has nothing to do with you.”

“It has everything to do with me, Craig,” he spat viciously, “I’m the one bound to you, which you don’t seem to fully grasp,” he hissed harshly, trying to tug his arm free from where Craig still had a hold of it, but he tightened his grip and refused to let go.

“I get that, but I have a life to go back home to, family and friends, I don’t want to be stuck here. That has nothing to do with you.” 

“They abandoned you here! Why would you want to return to people who care so little for you they threw you away and left?!” He argued hotly.

“They didn’t leave me! That was the bastards who kidnapped me. Remember I told you I got kidnapped, it means I was taken here against my will. Not by the people I care about!” He pointed to himself then balled his hand into a fist.

“I know what it means,” he hurled back at him, “you’re the one who doesn’t understand what this means to me!”

“Oh well I’m sooo sorry I don’t fucking understand mer-culture, that I’m a _human_ you bound yourself to, that _you chose_ to fucking tie yourself to,” Craig sarcastically argued back, getting defensive.

“Augh! You have no idea at all!” He screeched shrilly at him. “What it took to do that, what it means if you leave, you know nothing!” He cried in a piercing shriek.

“Ya? And who’s fault is it that I don’t know jack shit? Yours! Either fucking explain it to me or don’t!” Craig savagely growled getting right up in Tweek’s face.

“I did! I have been, but you still don’t get it! No matter how I explain it to you, you don’t seem to understand,” Tweek insisted bitterly, moving even closer to Craig.

“Then - I don’t know - do a better job at it,” he replied just as fiercely.

A clawed hand swung toward him. Great, now he’d pissed off the mer to the point he was going to gut and kill him. Wonderful job Craig.

He didn’t have any time to feel fear, just resigned himself to death, but the claw didn’t slice him up. Instead it pierced the front of his jacket, which was then used as a solid hold to yank him forward. Tweek curled his body around him, and used the forceful momentum to crash their lips together.

It was not pleasant, he’d practically head butted Craig and knocked their mouths against each other more than kissed him. 

While maintaining a tight grip on his jacket, he lessened the strength he pushed against his mouth, and it became far more enjoyable. Craig didn’t protest or push him away. In fact, he put his own webbed hand around the back of the mer’s head and held him in place.

The kiss was ferocious, rough with an edge of cruelty. Even with it only being lips against each other, they went at one another hard and vicious. 

Craig’s heart pounded, his hand tightened in the wet strands of the mer’s hair, pulling him closer as he pressed himself against him.

Their chests met, Craig hadn’t noticed before, but he was wider than the merman. He’d seemed bigger when he first met him, likely due to fear and uncertainty, but now he could tell he was actually smaller than Craig.

His tail was the biggest part of him, which he could feel the curve of trying to hook around him as their bodies were flush against each other.

The kiss didn’t last long. Ever so slowly, Tweek eased off the pressure, before breaking the kiss entirely. He stayed close enough that their noses still touched. Tweek laid his head against Craig’s and his eyes stayed locked on his as they both breathed. 

His lips tingled where they’d met Tweek’s own. 

Welp. That was certainly something. A whole lot of something.

At least Craig was pretty sure he understood what Tweek was saying now. He’d literally hit him in the face with it, so it was only reasonable that he got the message. _Finally_.

Tweek moved his wrist out of Craig’s hold. Grabbed Craig’s hand and brought it up, then placed his own clawed hand flat against his open palm. Craig let him, unsure why he was doing it.

His other hand unclenched from his jacket and moved to his own chest, held it there for a second before moving it back to Craig’s, laying it over the center of his chest. He gingerly leaned his forehead on his once more.

His own blue eyes widened as he heard an enchanting melody befitting a siren softly vibrate in the water around them. “ _I give you a gift I give no other,_ ” he sang beautifully, “ _Heed my call, return my care, show your devotion. Become mine, for I am yours, now and for all time. My one and only._ ”


	8. Because You’re Mine I Walk The Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way more dialogue heavy. More talking and talking and talking. 
> 
> Okay, so fair warning, this went in a bit of a roller coaster. At least there's a lot to learn about what's going on. I want to make sure, do you guys understand what's happening? I always worry I'm not making it clear enough. 
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos!

When the last resonating notes faded, Craig remained staring enthralled. 

He only came back to himself after Tweek pulled back from him a bit, looking at him with hope slowly fading from those shining green orbs. 

Without gaining a response from his still stunned form, Tweek slid his hand from his. His other claw slipped from his chest, and joined the first at his sides. Withdrawn and dejected, Tweek appeared to prepare himself to close off from the disappointment he would surely face at Craig’s reaction, or lack thereof.

Knowing he needed to say something to what the mer had just said and done, and having nothing else coming to mind, he barreled forward with, “Wow.”

Just a statement, he couldn’t express much else at the moment. Still too taken aback by everything. Cut him some slack, it was a lot to work through.

Tweek was apparently tied to him and they were… bound to each other? He’d been dumb, he had to be literally shown what that meant to Tweek through his impulsive almost headbutt of a kiss. 

Then he went on to position him and sing some pretty mer-song that Craig was reasonably certain was used in whatever sacred tradition the mer mentioned to give another their gift. A very beautiful and lovely tune, even if sung in the other's natural language… at least Craig understood it. 

Which, he kinda got why now. If he was tied to Tweek, then it made sense they would understand each other, right? He maintained that it sounded a hell of a lot like magic. 

“Is-is that a good wow, or a bad wow?” Came the nervous voice of the mer, trying to ready himself for whatever answer he may receive.

“A ‘wow that was amazing’ wow,” Craig knew he sounded awed even as he said it, he didn’t know how Tweek could think it was anything bad. Tweek naturally seemed to think most things would be bad though, so Craig would have to make sure he didn’t take it that way.

“Oh!” A delighted little trill accompanied the small smile creeping across his face, “That’s good, right? Thank you, I think.” 

“Yeah definitely good Tweek. That was beautiful. You sing beautifully,” how many times was he going to say beautiful, jeez he sounded sappy, “the whole thing was really just so beautiful. With the touching and the song and, um, you know… the kissing thing, even if that wasn’t as beautiful as it was just - you know what I’m gonna shut up now before I say anymore embarrassing things.” 

Craig didn’t gush, he wasn’t some starry-eyed person who gushed about things. What the hell was wrong with him? Just because he kissed someone and was eternally bound to them or whatever didn’t mean he turned into a mushy sap.

Tweek appeared stunned by the praise and overwhelmingly positive reception. “You-you know what it meant right? You understand now, yes?” He had to double check, make sure Craig fully understood now, “Please say you do, and that you don’t just think it was a nice song and a kiss to go with it.”

Craig gave a small huff of a laugh, “I’m not that dumb Tweek, damn, give me some credit would you.”

Tweek outright laughed in relief and good humor, “I wasn’t saying you’re dumb, though it did take you a while to get it.”

Oh shit, was Tweek teasing him? This was great, way better than having him anxious or upset. He was being playful with him and Craig was more than happy to see it. 

“Ha, I guess you’re right about that,” he conceded, “I’d apologize for how long it took if I thought I had to. But considering humans don’t have ‘the one’ no matter how much they like to believe otherwise, I’d say I did fairly well coming to terms with being yours.”

The wide-eyed dazed look he received was kinda confusing. Why was Tweek looking at him like he was amazing and had just given him the best birthday present ever?

“What? What’s with that look? Tweek?” He was growing concerned with the doe-eyed fixed stare and no vocal reply. To make sure he hadn’t broken him, he reached out gently brushing his shoulder with the tips of his fingers, keeping his hand there as Tweek blinked rapidly like coming out of a daydream. 

“Yours?” He asked a little breathless, “You mean that? You’re okay with that? You really don’t hate me for binding myself to you? Are you sure? Do you really even get what that actually means?”

Woah that was a lot of rapid fire questioning. Craig put his other hand up in a motion to make him stop and wait for a second. “Yeah, Tweek, still don’t hate you. Never have in fact. So you don’t have to keep worrying that I do,” he reassured Tweek once again.

“It’s true I may not entirely comprehend. I’m not sure if I ever could fully grasp what this whole thing means to you, but I assume you’re basically telling me you chose me as your - uh - well, mate? I think? Is that right?” Craig cringed at his own reasoning, it sounded so corny when he said it out loud. Acknowledging that he was basically chosen by this supposedly fairy tale being - that wasn’t even thought to exist - as his mate.

Mate itself sounded so… archaic. Like cave-man shit, way too animalistic. The only real time someone referred to mates or mating was in the context of biology or studying animal behavior. Damn documentaries, why did he watch those things? Sometimes they just happened to be on, other times, they honestly seemed interesting and he actually picked them to watch of his own volition. No matter what, they always ended up sucking him in though. Making him stay watching for the whole of it. 

“Oh! Mate. That would’ve explained it easier… I hadn’t thought to express it in such terms,” Tweek said, looking like he was kicking himself for missing that and not using it to explain everything in an easier manner. 

“Eh, don’t worry about it. It worked out, I get it now,” Craig brushed it aside with ease, helping Tweek not to get anxious over it and see how little he cared about the method it was delivered. Which, not exactly true. He very much cared about the way it ended up being shown to him, hard not to when he got a kiss and fancy ceremonial song out of it.

“You know what a mate is then, you have one as a human?” Tweek asked to make sure they were on the same page.

“Um, I mean, not before this.” He really didn’t want to have to go through the tedious explanation about the differences for humans. 

It was way too complicated to get into, dating and everything that came with and from that, friends with benefits/fuck buddies, etc., this was easier to go with.

Tweek gave a confused head tilt, it took a second for him to register what that meant. “Me, you mean me.” The slow blooming smile was worth the embarrassment over accepting being mates and calling himself as such. 

“Yeah Tweek, who else would I mean?”

“I don’t know, I never even asked if you had someone you wanted as yours. I didn’t have a chance to talk to you at all before I - before the choice was taken from you. That I took from you,” he said, still sounding ashamed of himself and his actions. 

“Nah Tweek, it’s not like I had a-” he sighed, “a ‘mate’ before this.”

“Ngh, neither did I,” Tweek said, looking up at him from under his lashes. God, why did that get him every time, make him feel hot and flustered.

“Oh, yeah, cool - that’s great, ya. Uh, not that I’m happy you didn’t have anyone - though if you did that’d mean you chose me despite that, which would be cheating I’m pretty sure - just, you know what, never mind about all that. Forget I said any of it.” Craig waved his hand in front of his face like he could swat the words away. 

It earned him more light musical giggles. “It’s fine Craig. I had no one else in mind anyway. Besides, I likely would’ve ended up being put in an arranged ceremony exchange with another from a different tribe, if I hadn’t given my one to you.”

“Shit, really? Like an arranged marriage? Or, wait, that’s basically what this is already,” Craig said jokingly before his eyes widened in realization, “ _Holy shit I’m married_ ,” he gaped, like this was a revelation, as if being mates wasn’t enough to kickstart his mind to make the connection.

He’d been looking at this almost from an outsider's view. Distancing himself by thinking of it in terms of being mates, which wasn’t something humans have, but rather was reserved for animals. If he was mated it didn’t mean as much, it didn’t correlate until he thought of it in light of being married. That he understood from a human perspective. 

“Is-is that bad? Are you okay?” Tweek asked, concerned by the stunned silence following Craig’s declaration.

“No, no it’s not bad. Not exactly. Shit, I just can’t believe I… why am I such an idiot? I should’ve seen this sooner.” He covered his face with his webbed hands. “I’m basically married to you. Just holy fuck, Tweek, we’re married.” His hands dragged down his face before giving Tweek this half-crazed look.

How did these things keep happening to him? What did he ever do to deserve all of this? How was this his life?

“Mmm, I guess so? Is that like being bonded, then yes,” he responded as reassuring as he could to a distressed Craig.

“Hahaha,” he let out a hysterical laugh, “I don’t even know what to do with this. How am I supposed to go back home again?” He asked himself more than Tweek. He was supposed to go back home, how was he going to justify abandoning his mate… his husband? Here in the ocean while he traipsed off back to land and lived without the person bound to him.

With Tweek’s growing concern about Craig and his situation, he couldn’t help but try to comfort him, “It’s-it’s okay Craig. You can’t go back to your home anyway.” That was not in any way comforting, in fact it was the opposite.

Though it did work in snapping him out of his momentary lapse in sanity. Thinking about how he somehow managed to get married to a merman by way of nearly drowning after being kidnapped by a drug cartel, and how he was supposed to deal with that and the consequences of being married to a merman.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Craig’s head snapped up to face Tweek. “Did you just say I can’t go home?”

“Well, yes. You don’t know how to return to being a normal human. You said so yourself,” Tweek explained gently. “You can’t go back on land like that to begin with.”

“Right, fuck. The gills and these hands,” he gestured with said hands. “They’re permanent. You can’t take back what you did since it’s like a forever bond thing. So I’m stuck like this.”

He’d have to acclimate himself to living down here. That appeared to be his only option. He really never would get to see his family or friends or Stripe, or even land, again. He was fucked. 

No wonder Tweek was so worried he’d be hated, not that Craig did. He couldn’t bring himself to hate Tweek, he honestly didn’t even blame him. Sure it may be his fault he was stuck like this, but the alternative was death, and that was far more permanent. 

“Rrr, I can’t break the bond without death, nor can I take it back, but…” Tweek gathered himself, unable to stand watching Craig be so upset by this, “Maybe you can learn to control it,” he offered as kindly as he could. He seemed a bit resigned, saddened by the idea. Craig wasn’t sure why.

“Control it, control what? I thought it was something you gave me, how is that anything I can control?” Craig asked incredulously, while shaking his head.

“N-no. I didn’t give you- I only gave you my gift. You have it wrong. I told you before we can’t change other beings into one of our own kind. You keep acting like we can,” Tweek remarked, “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you, it’s not magic Craig.”

“Well then, what the hell is it cos I clearly didn’t make the connection there,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“It’s just what I’ve been saying. A bond. I tied myself to you,” Tweek reiterated, “Everything between us is now shared. That’s why you can survive under the water because you are borrowing from me. At least that’s how it has been explained to us. Again it would be far easier to get a clearer explanation if we went to my elder.” 

And again, Craig would rather live, not get killed by this elder he kept mentioning. He felt like saying that would go over badly, would probably hurt or insult him, so he kept it to himself and didn’t say any of that. 

Besides, the bigger picture here was, there apparently existed a way to control having gills and webbed hands, hooray. 

“So I can learn to control it then? Great, sign me up. How do I do it?” He was quick to ask.

“Well, see, I don’t exactly know,” Tweek admitted his shortcomings.

“Let me get this straight, you were taught about this gift of one that you can give someone, but not what it does, or how it functions?” He sneered, finding the mer-education ridiculous and lacking.

“I know enough, the rest you are supposed to… I don’t know, figure out with your one. They said it comes naturally, borrowing from one another,” he attempted to clarify.

His brow furrowed. “What does borrowing even mean?” 

“Just that. You borrow from each other.” He did not elaborate further.

“Okay, but how is that not putting a strain on you?” Craig wondered.

“A strain? From borrowing?” Tweek’s head gave a little tilt showing his confusion with the line of questioning.

“Ya, Tweek, does that hurt you? Am _I_ hurting you?” He was becoming more concerned the longer he thought of the complications and effects this bond may actually have. He didn’t want to hurt Tweek, but how else would this work, without some kind of strain on the other to give so much.

“No,” he replied sounding confused, “you’re not hurting me Craig. Neither is the bond, why would it?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know Tweek, just seems like it would take from you, or put a burden on you. Strain you in some way.” He couldn’t fathom how this was giving him something without taking from the other. “I’m essentially borrowing abilities only your kind has when I’m not even the same species. That has to come at some price.”

Tweek shook his head at him, then smiled soft and endearing. “Being tied is not something that’s supposed to be painful. A bond does not mean a burden. Giving your one and having it relied on, helping each other through the gift is not a strain, it is only a strength. Something that is meant to add to each other not subtract. There is no pain involved. We simply borrow and provide for each other, it is to help, not hurt.”

“Ah, um, okay, if you say so…” Craig wasn’t sure how much he believed such a thing could exist without a cost to pay.

“You don’t have to worry about me Craig, really it’s not something bad in any way. The reason you lived is because you immediately borrowed from me upon my one being given and the gift sealing allowing you to gain the necessities to survive.” Tweek gingerly touched his cheek with a clawed hand, being careful not to hurt him with the sharp ends. 

“I may not know for sure how it works, how to specifically borrow, but I know that must have been how you acquired the gills to breathe. Without them, you would have drowned. Maybe it was actually me, maybe I did give them to you. Forced them on you through my gift sealing to you and my wish for you to live,” he ventured, moving closer to Craig once more trying to reassure him, “All I know is there is no consequence to sharing. And the reason it is called a gift is because it’s meant as one, and when two give each other their gifts they share their strengths with each other.”

Craig took a moment to take all of what he said in. He really hoped Tweek was right, he didn’t want to be the cause of Tweek being hurt. He didn’t want him to hurt at all. Let alone because of him. If what Tweek was saying was true, then he guessed he didn’t have to worry he was doing something bad to him by continuing to use the gift he’d been given.

Though something else in his speech stood out to him. From what he gathered, merfolk gave each other their gifts, it wasn’t a one-sided affair. With him being human, he could never give Tweek back what he’d been given. He didn’t have a one to give away, humans simply didn’t have that to begin with. At least not to his knowledge, and he was pretty sure someone should’ve figured that out by now if they did.

He felt bad he could never reciprocate fully. That Tweek would forever be incomplete, the only one to have given a part of himself in the bond, while Craig only took.

“I’m glad I’m not hurting you then, but if that ever changes, tell me, okay?” Craig put his own hand over the one Tweek had on his cheek. He waited for Tweek to confirm that he wouldn’t soldier on if the bond did start negatively affecting him, which he got with an enthusiastic head nod, before continuing, “So, you give each other the gift? Like, your people exchange them. Is that what you meant about being in an ‘arranged ceremonial exchange’?” 

“Mmhhm, yep!” He chirped happily, “If I never found someone to give my one to, my parents along with the council and the elder would’ve helped to find me someone. Most likely in another tribe to help with affairs and alliances. That way it would also help and benefit the whole of our tribe as well as give me someone.” Their joined hands slid from Craig’s cheek to be held between them.

“Oh so there’s a council now,” Craig commented sarcastically, “What’s next, a senate, president, judge and jury?”

Tweek gave him a look for that. “No, I don’t even know what most of those are. If judgement needs passing, it is usually up to the council and elder to do so. Though they will listen to the appeals of friends and family if relevant,” he paused, considered, then looked at Craig trustingly, “When we return there, they will have to pass judgement upon me.”

That sounded far more serious than when he’d said he would simply get in trouble for helping a human. Getting in trouble was more like being told he did a bad thing and to go clean his room. Having judgement of a council, and what he believed was the mer’s leader, passed on him sounded a hell of a lot worse, like thrown in jail worse.

“Wait, what are you talking about? You said you might get in trouble for helping me, but that didn’t sound like much, especially not to the degree of a council deciding what to do to you,” he squeezed his hand in alarm, “Tweek that seems way more serious.”

“It is,” he confessed, squeezing Craig’s hand back. It certainly didn’t reassure him to hear that. “I will get in trouble, I just don’t know how bad a punishment I will suffer. It depends on what they decide is fit for my transgression.”

Ah, fuck. Of course, of-fucking-course it wasn’t going to be that simple. Nothing ever was.

“And what would fit for it? Would you get thrown into some sea-jail? God, what am I even saying, how is there a sea-jail?” Craig directed his question upward toward the heavens, which couldn’t be seen deep within the sea, and was even more obscured by being in some small rock area. He ended up just looking up to the ceiling of the rocks they were between.

“I-I’m not sure. I would hope it wouldn’t be as extreme as being- gah - as getting sentenced to death-” Tweek jumped when he was cut off by a loud yell.

“ **What!?!** ” Craig shouted in alarm, “They’d kill you?! What the fuck Tweek!”

His wide eyes scanned Tweek’s face. How could he look so calm about possibly being killed for helping him? That was so fucked! He didn’t deserve that in any way shape or form. Tweek was kindhearted and helped a stranger who just happened to be human because he couldn’t in good conscience let him drown. That was not deserving of death. 

“N-no! They don’t like having to kill our own, so they probably wouldn’t choose that. Death is only for really heinous crimes committed. I don’t think they’d find me that guilty. At worst, they may banish me. But I could always go live in another tribe, if they accepted me- er, us,” Tweek tried to calm him down and ease his fear. 

“Fucking shit Tweek, this is just, no… no, okay, you can’t go back there,” Craig declared. 

“I have to, my parents are there and my friends, I can’t just never return. They’ll worry.” Tweek pointed out, “And if I don’t go back soon, they may send others in search of me. They could get hurt trying to find me. I would never forgive myself if my family and friends got hurt because of me,” he implored for Craig to recognize that he would never be okay with doing that.

Craig could understand that. He was also worried for his own friends, he hoped they were okay after he went overboard. His family would likely mourn him as soon as they got the news. They all would assume he was dead after all. He got why Tweek didn’t want to put the people he cared about through all that, but at the same time, if the alternative was a possibility of actual death, he shouldn’t return there.

But that wasn’t his choice to make. Tweek insisted on going back, so it wasn’t Craig’s right to stop him.

“Fine, if you’re so adamant about returning, then do it without ever telling them about me,” Craig argued back. 

“What do you mean? How would I do that?” 

“Well, you can just drop me off and go home, leaving no one any the wiser.” He was sure it could work. The only hitch in the plan was the gills and webbed hands, but if he figured out how to get rid of them, then he’d be golden.

“Drop you off?” He asked slowly with that same head tilt Craig associated with his confusion.

“Yeah, take me home. Just drop me off on the beach and return home, but don’t tell them that you helped out a human. Simple,” he shrugged, playing it off like it wasn’t bothering him something awful to let him go alone to a place that may result in his death. 

Even thinking about Tweek dying, especially for something so stupid, made his stomach curl in revolt, and his heart hurt. Everything in him wanted to force Tweek not to go back, but again, it wasn’t his choice to make.

From the look he was receiving it appeared he didn’t understand what Craig was suggesting, and not because of a translation error. It seemed more like he was upset over something he’d said.

“What’s wrong?” Craig asked when he didn’t say anything in response to his suggestion. “Are you worried I’ll tell people, because I won’t. I promise I won’t tell anyone about you or mermaids, or merpeople, or anything.” That was the least he could do after he’d saved his life. He would tell bold-faced lies to everyone, including his friends and family. No one would ever know or find out.

“I’m taking you home… with me,” Tweek said carefully, a concerned frown on his face and guilt once again shadowing his eyes.

“No, I’m not going there Tweek. If I go, they will know. That goes against the plan,” he showed him the flaw in taking him back with him. Besides, who knew what they’d do to him, a human in their midst. 

“You can’t go back home Craig, and I have to face what I did,” he said with conviction.

“No, no you don’t Tweek. Just do what I say and you will never have to get punished for helping me. Drop me off near the shore, I’ll figure out how to stop borrowing from you and go back to being just a regular human, and it’ll all work out,” Craig said, uncompromising on this. He would not allow Tweek to get persecuted because of him.

“Craig,” he sagged, let go of his hand and bowed his head, “I can’t. I’m sorry you’ve gotten the wrong idea. I’m taking you back to my home, with me. There is no way to hide you from them, or that I gave you my one.”

“What?” Craig was beyond confused by that statement. It just didn’t compute. “Tweek what are you saying? You refuse to take me to the shores, to let me go back home?”

“If I could I would Craig!” He cried, those big eyes filled with so much guilt and shame, “I can’t, I can’t give you back. You can’t go back. I never meant for you to misunderstand. I was never going to let you go home.” 

His heart might as well have stopped. Dread lined his stomach clenched in shock. It felt like betrayal. He’d told him he would be going home and now suddenly that wasn’t the case. Instead, Tweek was claiming he had no say in the matter, he would not get to go home, Tweek wouldn’t let him. He refused to let him leave.

“You-you said you were taking me home,” he didn’t recognize his own voice, he felt like he was having an out of body experience. 

A part of him thought he must be getting something wrong here, another wanted to get mad, unleash hell on Tweek for giving him hope only to rip it away. Even worse, to tell him he had no choice, that he had all the power, he was in control of the situation, and Craig had to do as he said, just go along with it.

“I never said that,” Tweek intoned joylessly. Gaining no happiness from this.

“You did,” he swallowed thickly, “when I first talked to you, I remember you telling me you were taking me _home_.” He felt the burn in his throat, behind his eyes, he wanted to cry. “Was that just a lie?” It had been a damn good one. Something he’d thought Tweek was bad at. He’d even said he didn’t like lying. 

Craig hadn’t caught that it was a lie. Something to build this foundation of mutual trust he thought they’d formed. Was he that gullible? Was he distracted by Tweek, by him being a merman, by all this stuff about them? 

“No Craig,” he uttered somberly, hugging himself around the middle, “I said I was taking you home. To my home. With me. I was never taking you to your home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh you sweet sweet summer child you. Craig, how could you assume it meant taking you home? You fucking know its not gonna be that easy Craig. You should’ve thought of that. How could you not realize the merman didn’t say I'm taking you to 'your home', he said I'm taking you home. To his home.
> 
> Okay, I’m a bit evil. Getting your hopes up just to crush them and watch them fall to the ground in a million little pieces. I'll admit it, mean of me.


	9. Nobody Said It Was Easy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Craig deals with being told he isn't allowed to go back home. I hope I showcased the turmoil it caused him and the struggle to come to terms with everything.
> 
> Thank you again for the comments and kudos. You all are so nice!

He’d made Tweek leave. He couldn’t stand to have him around for a moment longer. Afterwards, Craig had a lot of time on his hands to just sit there and think. 

Once Tweek had fully confirmed he never intended to let Craig return home, he felt furry ignite in his blood alongside the sick feeling of betrayal and despair.

Tweek moved to reach out and touch him, but Craig slapped his hand away and snarled through the tight lump in his throat, “Don’t fucking touch me.” Making him shrink back away from him and return to holding himself, looking rightfully admonished and remorseful.

Then he’d walked away from Tweek, as far as the rock he was on would let him at least. He couldn’t bear to be near him at the time. Needed distance both emotionally and physically.

He’d had no idea how he’d misinterpreted it so badly. He was going to be dragged along further into the waters to where the mer’s people were, not returned home. How had he gotten it so wrong?

Right after Tweek’s little revelation, Craig didn’t know what to do with himself or Tweek. He simultaneously felt too much and not enough to fully encompass the gravity of it all. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how to unravel the tangled mess his emotions became. 

There was a constant ache in his chest which went well with the clog in his throat. 

Tweek looked more upset than he had any right to be. Craig was the one stuck down here in the sea with a merman who’d bound himself to him and was forcing him to remain here. 

Craig was the one who had every right to be upset, who deserved to cry about his situation. He was fucking devastated - being told he couldn’t go home, that he had to abandon the idea of ever seeing his friends and family again, hurt like crazy - and it showed. 

The mer hovered near him and tried futilely to apologize, as if anything he said now would make it better. Craig looked back at him at his approach.

“I’m so, so sorry Craig. Please don’t look at me like that. I didn’t mean for this to happen, I never wanted to hurt you or make you feel like this. If I could release you I would.”

He was making excuses that Craig didn’t want to hear. He didn’t want to talk to him, he didn’t even want to look at him. 

“Please just say something, anything. Craig?” The mer begged him, still hugging himself and rubbing his hands up and down his own arms.

“Anything I say now will only be unkind and hurt you,” Craig stated brutally, swallowing back tears, voice rough with them still, “Just-just please leave me alone for a while.”

“Okay. Okay, Craig. I’ll leave you be,” he said sadly, relenting from pleading with him to talk, to try to make things better between them again. 

Craig was a bit surprised by the ease in which Tweek had given up and complied with his request for solitude. Figured he’d keep at it until Craig really did lose it on him again. This time would be far worse if Tweek pushed him hard enough, maybe he knew Craig needed space.

Slowly he swam up and away from Craig, looking back to him only for a moment before disappearing above the rocks with the draining sunlight illuminating him as he went. Leaving him truly alone once more.

Now he didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d been alone for some time, the only company being a dead fish left over from breakfast on the other side of the rock from where he’d hunkered down. Sitting with his legs drawn up and back against the rock wall, having nothing else to do but sit there and think.

The only way he could tell time passed at all was the difference in light. When the mer left it was already dimming, they’d been talking since he woke up and ate with him and it had taken a good portion of the day. Now the light was back to the amount Craig was barely able to see in, which meant night had fallen.

He felt numb. No, that wasn’t quite right. He still felt far too much, so it was better to say he wished he felt numb.

Initially he’d been too emotionally charged, would’ve said and done things he regretted. Even now he felt the sting of his betrayal, of his lies. Despite what Tweek said, how he claimed he hadn’t lied and it was just a misunderstanding, how he’d apologize for giving Craig the wrong impression, he couldn’t help but feel this way. 

There was a lot Craig didn’t know or understand about his situation - apparently he didn’t understand _a lot_ more than he’d thought he did - and he’d only had Tweek there to rely on. He’d given him his trust. It felt like a foolhardy move on his part. To trust so easily. He should’ve guarded himself more, kept his walls up. Tweek had taken him by surprise, that was all, that’s how he managed to make Craig lower them in the first place. 

The only people who got behind them were people he’d known practically his entire life. His friends since forever, his family, and his pets. Those were the only people who were ever supposed to matter to him. Tweek came out of nowhere - he literally wasn’t supposed to exist! - and Craig had foolishly gotten attached. 

Look how that turned out for him.

Kidnapped by not only drug dealers, but now a merman. That may be a bit too harsh. Seemed extreme to call Tweek a kidnapper, he’d still saved his life through some mystical means that could only be performed once… but was also trying to keep him without his agreeance. 

Uh, why did everything have to be so hard? Why couldn’t he just hate the mer and be done with it? Why did even thinking of hating him make him feel worse?

It was obviously something Tweek feared, making Craig hate him. The vindictive part of him wanted to just because it would hurt him, but no matter how much of an asshole he was, he wasn’t that awful of a person. 

Which led him to agonizing over his stupid feelings. Split between too many emotions pulling him in all different directions at the same time. 

It was a heavy blow to be told everything he’d thought up ‘til now was bent from the misunderstanding. It changed so much about his perspective on everything he thought since first waking up in the mer’s arms. All of it started with him believing the mer was taking him home after all.

Had he deluded himself? Made himself deliberately misinterpret the mer’s meaning from the beginning in some vain hope that it was real and he could go home? Had Tweek been purposefully vague when telling him? Was this all something the merman planned?

None of that seemed right. It didn’t fit with the image he’d developed of Tweek. The mer who seemed far too genuine and kind to be so devious as to devise such a farfetched scheme. Especially on some random human who he didn’t even know when he’d given him something they considered sacred and incredibly important in a desperate attempt to save his life. Yeah, thinking on it, it really didn’t sound like some dastardly plot by a nefarious mastermind.

As much as he wished he could brush how he saw Tweek aside and simply lay all the blame at his feet, hate him for keeping him here against his will, he couldn’t bring himself to. 

He wished - god did he ever wish - that he could go home and forget all of this. Just not care about Tweek at all and leave without his permission or knowledge. 

There was the little whisper in the back of his mind that said he could. If he just got up and started swimming, eventually he’d make it to land, he’d get back home and show the middle finger to the ocean for all it put him through.

However, that would mean leaving Tweek behind too. The rebellious part of him, the one that made him fight authority figures and buck the system at every turn, told him not to care. Told him Tweek was trying to control him and his actions, strip him of his freedom of choice, and keep him against his will. Told him he wasn’t the type to need anyone's approval to do jackshit to start with. If that was the way Tweek was going to be, Craig didn’t need him in his life anyway, so might as well abandon him.

The righteous fury at him died down though. At first he may have wanted to punch him, and if he wasn’t so in control of himself and had a pretty solid hold on his impulses he might have done just that. It had taken him a long time of fighting and anger and violence to get to the point where he could stop himself from reacting on instinct.

As it was, he was used to dealing with his gut reaction, which tended toward anger and either voicing his rage or punching the problem. He didn’t let that take hold of him, he’d forced himself to walk away from Tweek and get the space he needed.

Seemed to be working so far. If he could just get a handle on his emotions and think all of this through logically, he’d figure it out and be able to face Tweek again. He was good at that. Had a lot of practice tamping down his own anger, and other feelings, in favor of thinking rationally.

When he really considered it, he couldn’t truly think of abandoning Tweek. This weird bond thing he’d been given was clearly very significant to Tweek and his people. One that was actually tied to him - through what he would continue to insist was magic - which he was pretty sure made him essentially married to him. 

Seriously though, fuck his life. How was he married before ever having dated anyone? He didn’t think he was old enough or mature enough to enter into that kind of commitment. Not like he had much of a choice in that department either, seeing as he was already gifted the mer’s one, but still he hadn’t graduated high school yet for crying out loud! 

But he had other things to be worrying about right now than his life back home. Or being married. Or whether or not he’d ever graduate. Or if he should forgive Tweek or blame him at all to begin with.

Tweek wasn't malicious. His intentions were not to hurt him, Craig knew that. He did. Maybe he shouldn't so easily trust, but something told him Tweek was not out to get him. He may not understand why he was being forced to remain here, but maybe he should talk with Tweek about it. Not make any snap judgements, or at least try not to read into it and instead give Tweek the benefit of the doubt.

In the end, he was a big ball of confusing emotions which he tried valiantly to push down. Everything ranging from angry to sad, lonely to guilty, fearful to understanding, betrayed and hurt to sympathetic to Tweek’s side… it all came down to feeling awful. Just an upsetting awful mix, like someone took all the negative emotions he could have, put them in a blender and made him a smoothie he was forced to drink. 

All he ended up doing was going in circles in his mind. Lap upon lap continuing in the same loop of thoughts. The only benefit being he’d calmed down considerably. Or perhaps he’d just distanced himself enough to not be affected as much by them. Letting himself have time to sort out these things was important for his ability to push aside his feelings and think with his head not with his heart. 

This way he wouldn’t react impulsively and could hopefully reconcile with Tweek again without being a complete asshole and lashing out at him. 

Problem was, Tweek left and had yet to return. Craig was the one who made him leave, but, semantics. 

He didn’t know when the mer planned on coming back. Where had he even gone?

A kind of dread filled his stomach. Had he returned to his tribe? Faced them and whatever judgement they may pass without Craig?

Not that Craig could even do anything had he gone with him, but the idea of Tweek alone facing off against them, and probably not even trying to defend himself or his actions, it scared Craig, more than he’d like to admit.

He shook his head, Tweek planned to take him with him, not leave him by himself in the middle of the ocean. He wouldn’t have gone back without him, he’d made that very clear earlier, so it was stupid of him to even think otherwise.

But time continued to pass with no sign of Tweek. Eventually he hopped off the rock and laid down in the sand, hoping it was more comfortable than sleeping on the hard surface. With the gap giving him a view above, he pretended he could see the stars and was back home stargazing laying on the grass. 

It relaxed him, except for the nagging little worry tugging at the back of his mind which made it hard to fall asleep. 

Before long he was aware of a presence near him. His eyes snapped open to daylight once again. He shot up into a sitting position, heart racing, and whipped his head around to see Tweek amicably sitting on the rock he’d vacated the previous night, pause in eating his fish.

Relief flooded him, for more than one reason. Tweek was safe and it wasn’t a sea monster coming to eat him.

Tweek looked apprehensive as he lowered his fish to his lap, licking the blood and bits of meat from his face as if making himself presentable for Craig.

“Hey Tweek,” he greeted, voice still sleep rough and eyes blinking away grogginess. He got to his feet and trudged his way through the water over to him. Felt like more effort than it was worth, he should’ve just swam over, but he was still rousing himself from sleep even after the scare his heart gave him. 

There was a quick little noise from being acknowledged, there and gone again, before the mer looked him up and down, watching as he approached. “G-good morning Craig.” He blinked up at him from his seated position where Craig came to stand in front of him. “Are you still-still mad at me? Do-do you want me to leave again? I can. It’s okay, I’ll go and give you more-”

Craig placed a hand on his head, stopping what was likely going to be a long nervous rant. 

“No, it’s okay Tweek. You don’t have to go anywhere.” He paused for a moment, considered how best to say this, before bluntly plowing through, “I won’t say I’m okay with you forcing me to stay here, not giving me a choice to leave, to go back home… but I don’t want to be in a fight with you either,” he went slowly talking out what he’d spent a majority of his time alone thinking about.

“Ngh, I’m sorry Craig,” he began apologizing again, only for Craig to shake his head at him, “Do you hate me now?” He asked in barely a whisper, Craig wasn’t sure he should’ve been able to make out if not for their weird bond forcing the translation to let him know what he’d said.

Craig sighed heavily, his body sagging as he was faced with the mer’s insecurities again, ones Craig likely drudged up by how he’d reacted and forced Tweek to leave him be. Not that it hadn’t been a wise decision, Craig had needed the time and distance to sort himself out, but it was understandable that Tweek would worry himself over it again anyway.

He wasn’t sure how to express everything he felt, how to properly explain his thoughts, without making it sound like he was angry with him or held a grudge. Craig didn’t want to do any of that, but he was still upset about not getting to go home.

“Please don’t hate me…” Tweek pleaded woefully, “I don’t want to force you to stay here. To make you unhappy. I don’t gain any pleasure seeing you so upset. I wish I could let you go, give you what you want. Make you happy…” he trailed off, making those distressing little hums again. They sounded sad, and Craig realized belatedly this is what he sounded like when he cried.

There were no tears, perhaps he couldn’t produce them, but the downturn of his lips, bowed head under his hand, and sad little hums told him all he needed to know. It made his heart wrench and prompted him to try to comfort him. 

“I told you before, didn’t I?” He nudged Tweek’s face up with a bent finger under his chin until he met his eyes, “I don’t hate you. I may be upset with you, I don’t like that you’re forcing me to stay here against my wishes, but no Tweek I still don’t hate you.”

With his other hand on his head, he ran his fingers soothingly through his wild blond hair as Tweek trembled. Waiting out his quivering until it died down. 

“Why don’t you-you should,” his voice was quiet and withdrawn, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore.

Craig kept his hand in his hair and moved the other to rub at the back of his neck. “Heh, don’t know,” he mumbled with a shrug, “you're not some horrible person. You’re honestly too nice for your own good. I mean, you rescued me without even knowing me, even though I’m a human and you knew there’d be drastic consequences. You even gave me something precious to you, to your people, just to save me.”

“So, I don’t have a clear answer other than, why the hell would I?” Craig bounced the question back to Tweek who gazed at him with this hopeful little look.

“Even if you never get to go home again? See your family? Your friends?” Tweek asked shakily.

“Jesus Christ, Tweek, are you trying to convince me to hate you or something?” Craig rolled his eyes.

“No! No, I just… want to make sure,” he looked down at his lap, absently poked at his half eaten food.

“I’d still like to go home, yeah. But that’s not gonna make me hate you.” He ruffled Tweek’s hair, earning a surprised squeak and wide eyes directed at him.

“You won’t resent me for-for keeping you?” Tweek looked embarrassed, Craig was sure if the mer could blush he would be.

“Hmm, dunno. Maybe. Or maybe I’ll get used to it down here. Or maybe you’ll decide to let me go,” Craig mused.

“It’s not about a decision Craig, if that’s all, I would have let you return to your family,” he said tugging on the front pocket of Craig’s jacket.

“Then what is it about Tweek?” 

“It’s- I- we should go to my home now,” he dodged the question in a completely conspicuous manner that made Craig snort.

“That so?” Tweek’s obvious twitchiness and avoidance of the topic just made Craig roll his eyes again, this time in exasperated fondness.

“Mmhm, yes, otherwise they really will start to wonder. Just let me finish eating and we can go.” Tweek was just about to go back to his meal before pausing and looking at Craig again. “Are you hungry? I didn’t hunt again, but I can if you want-”

“No!” Craig burst out, then cleared his throat at the startled look on the mer’s face, “ahem I mean, no, I’m good, not hungry.” He didn’t not want to go through that debacle again so soon. “Thanks for the offer though.” He tacked on at the end.

“Oh, okay, if you’re sure.” He waited only for a second, getting a head nod from Craig, then went back to his meal.

Craig looked away this time, deciding to spare himself the queasiness. Besides, his stomach was already working its way into knots thinking about heading to meet the merman’s tribe, and especially the foreboding elder he’d heard such _lovely_ things about.

“Tweek, what if you come with me instead?” Craig put it out there, this errant little thought he’d had. Traitorous whispers of hope.

“With you?” Tweek turned his head to meet his eyes.

“Yeah, you won’t get in trouble if you never go back, besides it beats dying,” Craig played it off nonchalant with a shrug. Moving to sit down next to Tweek on the rock again. 

“I-I can't go back with you,” he shook his head.

“Sure you can. What, you’d rather face your council and leader and get sentenced to death?” Craig asked incredulously, “or banishment? You’d rather die than come with me?” He let that one sink in for a second before continuing, “If you come home with me, you’d never have to get in trouble to begin with,” pointing out the benefit of going with him instead of an uncertain future back in his tribe.

“That’s my home though, I can’t abandon it, and my family. If I’m banished I could go to another tribe, and maybe still be able to see them, visit,” he gently disagreed, then looked down at the sand below them, hunching in on himself, “Craig, I know that’s not fair of me to say, with your situation. It’s insensitive of me, but I just- it’s just that… I literally can’t go with you to the surface, just as your kind die below the water, mine die on the surface. I would die if I went above the waves.”

His heart gave an awful twist hearing that. Not for his dashed plan, but the idea of Tweek dying because of him in any way. “So what… it’s death either way? What the fuck are you gonna do if they try to kill you?”

He hummed something unintelligible. “Get you to safety and face my death,” he said bravely. Craig could tell it was a facade though, he put on a brave face, but Tweek didn’t want to die. “I can’t run, if I try to hide, throw myself to the mercy of another tribe, they will just find me. Get me at some point. If the tribe I go to doesn’t either hand me over or kill me themselves.”

Very lightly he touched Craig’s leg with a shaky claw, “At least if I die you’ll be free, the bond will break with my death.”

“That’s not- I don’t want that Tweek. I never wanted that,” Craig declared, soft yet passionate, as he placed his own hand over Tweek’s. 

All this did was make him worry for his merman even more. He vowed right then and there, if they tried to hurt Tweek, he’d kill them first. He didn’t know how, but he’d find a way. Humans are crafty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off to the merpeople's home they go. What could go wrong? Nothing of course, it's just gonna be a wonderful time full of peace and happiness. All sunshine and rainbows.


	10. Off To See The Elder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, truth be told this did not go according to plan. I wanted to write this whole chapter about actually facing the elder and council, and so on. It did not go that way. Which is why this one was a struggle to write.
> 
> I actually thought about deleting it and going with the original chapter I had already planned out, but I decided oh well I'll keep it. 
> 
> Sorry it came out a week later than usual, I just really couldn't decide how to make this chapter work right - or if I should keep at writing it with the way it was going. I blame Craig, yep all his fault, not mine at all.
> 
> Anyway, thank you for your comments/kudos. Hope this chapter turned out alright.

Before leaving their protective bubble, Craig tried to make Tweek more at ease. He didn’t know how to help, if he was doing much of anything at all for him, but he did what he could, let Tweek take whatever he needed from him to relax and center himself again. So he sat there with Tweek’s hand in his, held it while the mer calmed down from his obvious fears about returning to face judgement, before readying to leave. 

He was serious about wanting to keep Tweek safe. He would fight anyone who tried to hurt him, even if it was a losing battle. He’d been in enough fights back on land, how different could it be? 

It wasn’t that he purposefully went around looking for a fight, it was more often someone came along and picked one with him. Most of the time he’d walk away flipping them off without a backward glance. No fighting involved. 

He was used to people coming after him, trying to goad him, or simply telling him off over something stupid. Again, he wasn’t great at people - which happened when your attitude leaned toward apathetic sarcasm - nor was he great at emotions. Being uncaring and indifferent led to people thinking you're a callous asshole. Which, true, but still he just spoke the truth, and people didn’t like hearing blunt honesty. 

It meant he offended others easily and often. Got on their bad side without even trying. Oh, there were times he specifically tried. Those times were much more fun to watch the person lose their mind at him, but it happened more often than not by accident on his part. 

He’d like to say he matured from being the young hotheaded kid that readily got into fights over the littlest of things. Nowadays the juvenile name calling and insults just didn’t make him react at all, other than with a bored look and middle finger.

Either way, he was considered a bad influence - from all the fights he’d gotten involved in through the years and general disregard for authority which put him on the bad list - and deemed a troublemaker. That also helped get him into more fights. Because, for some fucking reason, it painted a target on his back that tough guys liked to take a shot at. But with his aloof behavior towards insults hurled at him, they quickly learned how to get him to engage. 

Everyone knew by now that if they fucked with his family or friends, they got punched. 

If they gave Token any crap because he was black or rich, they got punched. If they dared go after Jimmy because of his stutter or need for crutches, you can bet your ass they got punched. If they made fun of Clyde for being a crybaby - or any other reason really - they got punched. 

Once upon a time they’d go after Clyde because he was chubby, that changed after he got jacked, less people started shit with him since then, but if they did Craig was right there to stand with him and back him up in a fight. Same as he’d do for anyone he cared about, stand by them and punch the jackoff who thought it’d be a good idea to go after them. 

Saying stuff to Craig himself, depending on what they came up with, could get them punched or on the receiving end of his signature move, his middle finger. Back when people were harping on his mom - and saying shit to and around Craig - because some pervert released a video of her naked, there were for sure a lot of punches given out. Every last one of those hits were well deserved. 

Like the saying goes, talk shit get hit. Which applied very well to anyone stupid enough to go after his loved ones. One could say he didn’t take kindly to it. 

So, yes, Craig was no stranger to fighting. He had a mean punch trained from years of practice, and an irascibile nature courtesy of his father, tempered with his mom’s soothing calm quality to keep his head cool. All of which came in handy when handing someone’s ass to them.

He wasn’t sure how he’d fare against beings with sharp knife-edged claws for hands, but he’d give it his best shot. Seeing as he now had a new person he vowed to protect. If it came down to it, he would fight tooth and nail against anyone who tried to harm Tweek.

Maybe that was insane, as he hadn’t known him for very long, but he didn’t care. He decided who he liked and who he didn’t. Tweek was someone he got attached to extremely fast. 

He thought it may be this bond thingy’s influence, it may have made them closer because they were tied together, or maybe it was because Tweek was a good person - er, merperson at least - and Craig could see how wonderful he was after only a short period of time. 

On the plus side, being bonded certainly made Craig feel more secure in this. Less like there was a fear of rejection or disgust that might’ve come up if things were different. If Tweek were a human he met and got to know, or if Tweek himself was different. If he hadn’t been as sweet and admirable with a good moral base of principles and values, if instead he’d been a complete bastard, things could’ve been very different. Or perhaps Tweek might not have even wanted him in _that_ way if they’d met under different circumstances. 

He assumed Tweek was into him _that_ way, at least with this whole bond thing it seemed pretty clear that was the intention. But he’d never specifically asked if Tweek actually liked him or was just going along with it now that he’d given him his one. Sure, he’d kissed him, but that didn’t automatically mean there were any feelings involved, just a mystical bond tying them together.

Was Tweek into guys? Did he even know Craig was a guy? He knew Tweek was, but he’d never told him he also was. 

Would that be a problem? 

What if that was another strike against Tweek in the eyes of his people?

There was less homophobia back home nowadays, but it was still around. His own dad hadn’t accepted him for a long time. They fought about it for years actually. When he first started discovering his disinterest in girls and far more interest in guys, it had terrified him. He hid it away for a while, knowing his family wouldn’t be happy about it. He’d been proven right. 

When he came out, his sister hadn’t cared, even if she did make gay jokes at his expense from time to time, they weren’t mean, and she was probably the most supportive and totally fine with it. Admittedly, he was really glad to have her, he just didn’t show it often enough.

His mom was hesitant about it at first, believing he was just confused and it would work itself out later. As if when he got older, he would figure himself out and miraculously like girls instead all of sudden. Didn’t happen, and eventually she seemed to get used to him being into guys. He remembers when they sat down and had a long talk about it to air things out, after which she didn’t hold onto the idea of him changing and instead accepted him as he is. She didn’t take nearly as long to be fine with it as his dad did. 

Even now, his dad still didn’t like that he was gay, but he wasn’t against it and trying to get him into liking girls, or calling it unnatural and telling him ‘no son of his was gonna be gay,’ as he had been in the beginning. He understood his dad was raised in a home which didn’t even entertain the idea, wouldn’t have allowed it in the slightest, so he couldn’t really hate his dad completely for his views on it. After a while, things improved greatly for him and his relationship with his family once they all came to accept him.

For Tweek, he didn’t know what his or his people’s stance on it was. What if they didn’t allow two people of the same gender to be together? What if Tweek got in even bigger trouble for bringing not only a _human_ he gave his one to, but a _male human_ he gave his gift to?

Too late, according to Tweek it couldn’t be undone. So they could fuck off if they didn’t like it, in his humble opinion. But it could spell more trouble for the mer.

A big part of him was really glad that he’d gotten someone as great as Tweek. And honestly he was relieved he’d ended up with a merman and not a mermaid. That would’ve been far more awkward if he had no interest in them. Not to say he automatically would’ve been into any merman, but he couldn’t deny that Tweek was pretty amazing, and cute, and admittedly kinda hot. 

Not that it was all about his looks. He saw how kind and thoughtful Tweek could be. The mer struck him as someone modest and respectful, though perhaps a bit timid. He was also brave enough to do what he thought was right, despite those who believed he was in the wrong, and face the consequences of his actions. 

During their interactions, Tweek was always caring and considerate - albeit sometimes a nervous wreck. The cute factor to top it off was just like the cherry on top of the sundae. Truth be told, Craig could do a hell of a lot worse. 

The only snag was, well, Tweek _is_ a merperson. It’s a bit weird to be tied to a non-human entity. Even if that entity was sugar and spice and everything nice. Being attracted to a fish person is weird… isn’t it? It seemed like it should be more weird than it actually was. 

It definitely wasn’t normal, that’s for sure. But wasn’t his goal in life to strive for normalcy? Maybe he could be okay with being abnormal in this one instance, though it likely wouldn’t go over well with others.

Aw fuck it, since when did he care what anyone else thought? He could like whoever he wanted, and everyone else could go fuck themselves for all he cared.

Tweek was wonderful - and wonderfully toned, living undersea and having to constantly swim did amazing things for his physique - regardless of him being a different species, Craig was pretty lucky to have been chosen by him to be the recipient of his gift.

The weirdest part really was the tail, or maybe the sharp claws, perhaps it was the fins sticking out from his arms, or maybe the eyes… 

That was basically all the parts that made him, well, not human. Not that he disliked them, it was just _different_. 

Like with his eyes, it wasn’t that he didn’t like them, they were just a bit freaky. With the black depths encircled only by the shimmering green, and having no white around them, it only served to reinforce how different and non-human he was, no matter how pretty they were. 

The tail itself was beautiful in it’s green and golden scaled glory, and Tweek’s unique fins fit well with the rest of him. The claws were daunting, but necessary for his survival in the ocean, most likely for hunting and defense. 

It was just these stark differences between them which should make Craig feel super strange about being into him, when in reality, he wasn’t honestly that bothered by it. Though it would make things down the line a bit confusing, like how would they go about - a question for another time… 

There were still issues between them. Things that weren’t exactly resolved and questions left unanswered, but overall, he liked Tweek. He wouldn’t say anything beyond that though, this was already rushing it pretty fast in his opinion. Even though he may technically be mated to the mer, he wasn’t going to jump heart first into Tweek and this bond they shared. 

Protecting himself was also a priority. Tweek may not be out to get him, may not mean to harm him in any way, but it could still happen without the intention there. Besides, he hardly knew Tweek beyond the glimpses he’d gotten about his life, being a mer, and what he’d gleaned from his behavior. 

There was still a lot for them to learn about each other and even more to unpack between them. Like the reason for why going home to his own family wasn’t an option.

Sure, he was still upset about it, he wasn't okay with it by any means, but Tweek never meant for this to happen. He didn't want to trap Craig here anymore than Craig wanted to be stuck here. It was clear Tweek had his reasons for keeping him there, and whatever they were, he was sure he didn't have ill intentions. 

Tweek was too nice to consider being evil. He was kind and sweet, and far more good than Craig deserved. Honestly, he was the worst, Tweek deserved better. He'd caused him to do that mer-cry a few times already after all, and what kind of person does that to their savior? To the person who was nothing but thoughtful and caring to a complete stranger? 

He felt awful about having upset Tweek so many times since meeting him. He'd try not to be such an asshole to him again. If he could help it. 

According to, well… probably everyone, that was just the way he was, a dick. Unaffected, harsh, brusque, and far too stone-hearted. On top of everything else, he was a troublemaker that used his fists and words as weapons, with most of his words starting fights without even trying. Being an aloof sarcastic jerk got people riled up surprisingly fast. 

He should probably stay quiet when they get there, otherwise he may make more problems by opening his mouth. It would be just his luck, he’d say something rude and offend Tweek’s whole tribe. Honestly, his very existence would likely offend them. Not like he was going to be winning any points to begin with. 

After all, he was _so_ sure being a human was gonna be a big hit with Tweek’s people. Just like how the merfolk would react _so_ well to Tweek, one of their own, having given away his oh-so-precious gift to a complete stranger who just also happened to be _human_. 

Craig was really looking forward to meeting them, the excitement was just _oozing_ off him. Tweek seemed equally happy about returning. What with his tensed muscles, lips pressed harshly together, and laser focus on the horizon as he swam them onwards. Oh yeah, he seemed super eager to get back.

Craig had ended up being carried by the mer again. They came to the same conclusion, a human's speed would be far outmatched by someone who spent their entire life in the water... and had a tail. 

Which, unfair, Craig couldn't hope to keep up when all he had were legs compared to a strong tail that was literally made to cut through water with ease. 

Stupid bond should've given him one as well, he got webbed hands but no tail, where was the justice? Might’ve been a weird adjustment to make, but he'd have figured it out eventually. Much like he planned to figure out how to work this borrowing thing he could do with the bond.

For now, he just had to hold onto Tweek as he skillfully swam them to his home. He effortlessly held him against his body with an arm around his back, making it a smooth ride. Despite Tweek’s obvious agitation, being back in his arms, cradled snugly against his chest, feeling his muscles stretch as he moved, it was rather comforting, safe… if not oddly flustering. 

The connotations of what they were to each other merely helped add to the fire. He was sooo glad Tweek was facing forward and competently guiding them to where they were going. That way, he couldn't see his face and, as an added bonus, Craig got to watch the scenery pass by. It beat the dull boring rocks which had been the only things he’d had to stare at before, that was for sure.

Actually, the ocean held quite a lot of beauty when he really took the time to look around and observe it. With it being light out, allowing him to clearly see, he was amazed by the variety and vividness of his surroundings. Sure the ocean could be plenty scary, but in the daylight where he could catch a glimpse of the unique ecosystems and brightly colorful fish, it was fascinating.

Plus, at the speed they were going, he could safely marvel at the stunning environment he found himself in without the risk of something attacking them. They'd have trouble catching up with Tweek. Though, he did seem to be going slower than he knew he could go.

In fact, the longer they traveled the slower he seemed to get. Tired? Was carrying him weighing him down, draining him quicker?

No, that didn't seem quite right. Tweek didn't look tired, he looked nervous and more apprehensive as time went on. 

Ah, right, Tweek was scared. Craig frowned at the realization. He didn’t want Tweek to be afraid, wished he could comfort him properly and guarantee his safety, but that wasn’t possible and Craig wasn’t in the habit of giving false hope through lies.

Tweek had been scared before leaving their enclosure to start on their journey back to his home, but Craig managed to settle him temporarily back there. He didn’t know what to do to help Tweek now. Was there even anything to do?

They had to face the music. Tweek was just dragging it out, procrastinating as long as he could. Craig could understand that. He’d procrastinated plenty in his life. This situation didn’t exactly apply the same way, since what would happen when they arrived was a mystery he could only guess on, but pretending by waiting more to return wasn’t going to help them any. 

Either way, it would be best for them to show up without Tweek falling to pieces. This whole thing should not be left up to Craig to deal with, for plenty of reasons, only one of which was his status as a human.

“Tweek,” he started off softly, gaining the attention of the mer who looked over at him briefly before returning to watch in front of him. “It’ll be okay. Whatever happens, it’ll work out. And, you know, I’m here. With you. So…” he paused to think. 

He couldn’t promise any of this, he didn’t know what would happen, he was mostly just placating him more than anything. It felt like he was handing him empty words. But he was with him, and would fight to ensure his safety.

“I won’t let them hurt you, if they try anything, I’ll hurt them first. Kill ‘em if I have to,” he darkly vowed.

“Wha-?” Tweek looked over at him wide-eyed. “Kill them?! No, Craig, don’t,” he seemed unable to properly express what he wanted to say because of his shock at his statement.

“Why not?” He asked unflinchingly.

“You-you can’t! You just can’t, Craig.” Tweek shook his head frantically, balking at the ease with which his mate had suggested murdering his people with such indifference.

“I mean, I might be able to. I could definitely give it a damn good try, if it comes to it,” Craig shrugged off the look Tweek was giving him.

“That-that’s not what I meant!” Tweek yelped. “If it should come to that, I will take you and go as far away as fast as I can. I don’t want my people dying anymore than I wish to see you hurt or killed.”

“If it comes to that, pretty sure we’re already screwed. Talk about being in the belly of the beast,” he pointed out with a roll of his eyes. Going to his home equaled being surrounded by merpeople who could probably easily kill them if they wanted.

“Ngh, well I guess. But I promised to protect you, and I will do so. I-I’m not sure how much I can do, but I will try to get you away to safety if they attack or call for my death,” he nervously replied, their forward momentum practically non-existent at this point. 

“That doesn’t exactly sit well with me, Tweek,” he sighed, “I don’t want it to be only me who is saved and protected. What about you? Huh? Do you think I want you to die? Because if you do then you’re an idiot,” he stated with finality. 

The mer pressed his lips together, his eyes downcast. He shivered then squeezed Craig tightly. He returned the embrace and could feel Tweek start to temple slightly in his arms.

“I don’t want to die,” he confessed in a whisper, lips pressed close to his ear. 

“We can turn around right now, just leave and never look back.” Even as he suggested it, he knew Tweek wouldn’t go for it, but he had to try, to offer even if it was cruel to dangle the possibility in front of him knowing he wouldn’t choose it. 

“I can’t. You know I can’t. Where would we even go if we did?” He pondered, as if going along with this imaginary scenario, while moving back to look at Craig, see what he came up with.

“Dunno,” Craig answered, bluntly honest. Staring right back into the mer’s green eyes. He caught the quick little upturn of his lips, there and gone again. It appeared he’d have to try harder.

“It’s too bad you can’t go on land with me. Guess your mer-magic doesn’t extend to transforming you guys between human and merperson like in shows and movies,” he commented offhand with a playful smirk directed at Tweek. Mostly aiming to soothe him, take his mind off the danger they were heading to face and get him to not be as afraid.

The quick “It’s not magic, Craig,” from a fondly annoyed Tweek was worth it.

Craig decided to push it just a little more to make sure. “Too bad, really. Would’ve come in handy. You sure it’s not magic, maybe you have a sea witch that can offer you legs? Maybe in exchange for your voice?”

“What? No, of course not. There is no sea witch, since none of this is magic, Craig! Rrr, and what’s wrong with my voice that you’d want me to give it up?” Tweek asked haughtily, a growing smile making itself known as it spread across his face.

Tweek was catching on to him, Craig was glad he played along and even more so that his stress was dissipating from his frame.

“Nothing, you have a very, uh, unique sound,” Craig jeered in a monotone voice. 

Tweek huffed, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying you don’t like how I sound? I could very well say the same about you,” he added, teasing him right back.

“Oh how you wound me,” he flatly stated, accentuating his nasally quality on purpose, “to mock my beautiful voice. How ever will I recover?”

The tinkling laughter he received made his own lips quirk up. “We both know you never will. It was quite the harsh blow.”

He guffawed, caught off guard by the retort and by Tweek’s own sparkling eyes delighted at his surprised laugh.

“Thank you Craig.” Tweek smiled openly at him before leaning in close to his face making Craig think he was going in for a kiss, but felt the side of his cheek brush against his own in a few quick motions. 

Tweek quickly withdrew again after the soft nuzzle and once again started swiftly swimming, leaving Craig stunned from a cuteness overload.

It wasn’t long before they reached his home. At least, it hadn’t felt long, seeing as he was a little out of it from Tweek being so goddamn adorable.

Then, they’d arrived. It was pretty clear when they neared seeing as another of his kind was making their way towards them. 

The only predator that could catch up to Tweek, another like himself. Something Craig felt he probably should have taken into consideration. Not like knowing that would actually change anything on his end. The most he could do was hit one of these mers and hope it hurt enough to stun them or hey, who knows, maybe even knock them out.

The approaching mer appeared to be another male. See lack of breasts. Not a whole lot of other criteria to base it on. Well, except this particular mer was wider and all around looked bigger than his mer who was currently letting go of him. He was spider monkeyed to him, and he didn’t exactly feel like getting removed, but Tweek was trying to pry his octopus limbs off him and he let him with reservation.

He didn’t speak, because, again, not the best with people and more likely to accidentally offend or make a worse first impression than being a human would already afford him. The other merman had come to a stop a little ways away, while Tweek had removed Craig from his person, staring wide eyed at him before switching back and forth between the two of them.

Craig hoped to any God that would listen that this wasn’t Tweek’s elder. The dude looked like he could bench press a car, or maybe in more accurate sea terms, a shark. Possibly even a whale.

Hmm, that made him wonder about sea physics and how much easier it would be to try and bench press very heavy animals under the water. Seeing as the floating and the displacement of water and effects of gravity, so many factors would need to be taken into account. He’d taken physics last year and it had been an interesting class, though the math had given him some trouble. Now he was thinking in terms of how best to experiment on merpeople lifting sea creatures, what had that class done to him?

None of that was important - for right now. The merman had moved closer and was giving Tweek quite the ‘what the fuck have you done’ look. It was pretty impressive, one look was conveying so much at once. Craig could do a lot with a single gesture himself, mostly flipping people off in creative ways, or raising a single eyebrow, but this guy was pretty good, to get his meaning across with so little effort.

“It’s not what it looks like!” Was the first thing to burst out of Tweek’s mouth. He quickly shut it and looked guilty, he had totally just lied and Craig knew how he felt about that. 

It wasn’t even a convincing lie either, judging by the way the guy put his claws on his hips and gave Tweek a stern look.

“Okay, it’s completely what it looks like,” he folded quickly. Craig felt his lips rise of their own volition and might’ve laughed had this situation not been dire. 

His small smile immediately left him a second later when he heard the other mer speak. Or what should have been speech. Except it wasn’t. And that was the problem.

Craig could understand Tweek as he spoke, but when the other one did, all Craig heard were the now more familiar sea creature sounds. He may have heard them plenty of times around Tweek, but he always got a translation so he knew what he was saying. This situation was far different.

The inhuman noises were rougher coming from the merman in front of them and no words accompanied them. Craig was left unable to follow the flow of conversation, only catching one side. 

Shit, he couldn't understand them. He was stuck at more of a disadvantage than he'd thought.

All it sounded like to his ears was a variation of clicks and calls. An amalgamation of squeaks, chirps, whistles, croons, barks, and growls. They reminded him of all sorts of other animals, from dolphins to whales, to seals and otters. Hell maybe even birds. 

He wondered where they developed this language from, was it from the sounds of other creatures? 

Oh god, this was super weird to hear without the translation. And he was _so_ screwed. He had no idea what the other was saying. All he could do was tread water as he watched the two go back and forth until the other merman barked something at Tweek that had him tensing up and lowering his head.

When Tweek nodded and turned to him, Craig was nothing but confused. His merman looked back at him worriedly, clearly pushing aside his own nerves to check on him as he asked what was wrong.

“What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you? You look shaky again,” Craig deflected masterfully.

“Mmmnn, can’t help it. This is really happening now,” Tweek said, rubbing his own arms before extending one out for Craig to take hold of.

“What’s really happening?” Craig asked even though it was relatively obvious seeing as he’d met a new merperson. Maybe he himself should be freaking out more about that, but, eh, seen one, seen ‘em all, right? 

Their existence wasn’t some huge shock as it had been when first meeting Tweek. The surprise factor was kinda lacking now. Sure the guy's size was a bit surprising, but it didn’t mean he was the standard, if someone smaller like Tweek existed, surely there were simply varying sizes of merpeople just like there was for humans.

“Well, you heard him, didn’t you, we have to go face everyone now,” Tweek explained nervously.

“Uh, right, ‘course. Was that all he said?” Craig wanted to make sure if there was anything else of importance the guy said.

Tweek gave him a funny look, “Were you not listening Craig? This is really not the time to be zoning out.” He looked far more worried now. Wasn’t his intention to cause further stress to the already stressed to the max mer. 

“Yeah, I was listening, at least to half of the conversation,” he told him honestly.

“Wh- Craig, I need you to pay attention. I- we need to be careful and I can’t have you do or say something that will upset them further,” he implored him with a pleading look.

Wow Tweek predicted he would probably do just that if he spoke to his people, that’s impressive. Guess he wasn’t the only one paying attention to the other’s behavior. Tweek already had him figured out it seemed. 

“Well you don’t have to worry about that Tweek, seeing as I don’t think they’ll understand my human-speak,” Craig snarked. 

“Oh, right, yeah they shouldn’t,” he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief having realized that.

“Yep. Especially since I can’t understand them,” Craig dropped that little bomb right as the other merman, who apparently had become impatient waiting for them to have their sidebar, whistle-barked something at Tweek. 

Tweek glanced back over to his friend? Tribesman? Colleague? Whatever the other mer was to him, only for Tweek to to tell him to give them a moment longer before looking back at Craig.

He was kind of hoping to avoid the freak out Tweek would inevitably have at knowing Craig couldn’t understand anyone else. Looked like that went out the window with the put upon gesture from the other merman that allowed them more time to talk.

“Are you telling me you can’t understand what he was saying?” Tweek clarified.

“Yep,” Craig answered succinctly, popping the ‘p’.

“Oh that’s not good. Oh no, Craig, that’s really not good,” and there began the descent into freak out Craig had hoped to avoid. 

“Yeah, sucks.” Craig wasn’t exactly happy about it either, as his unenthused response showed.

“But Craig what about- I mean how are you going to- what should we do?!” Tweek looked to him for an answer, which was really the wrong person to ask. He was so far out of his depth here, he might as well have been in the center of a black hole. One that wasn’t going to relent until it gobbled up both of them.

He’d been the one asking questions in hopes of getting answers from Tweek. It wasn’t supposed to be the other way around. He certainly didn’t have one for him, he barely knew what was going on since waking up under the sea.

So, he gave the only one he had, a shrug of his shoulders. Which didn’t help in the least, and with the way Tweek’s hands shot to his hair that he gripped roughly, he’d only helped to make it worse.

“Don’t start panicking on me now,” Craig reached for his hands to tug away from his head, “I need you with me, we’ll figure this all out later, okay? First let go of your hair and let’s meet this esteemed leader of yours.”

Tweek was far from settled, but he let Craig take his hands from his hair and closed his eyes for a few seconds, just breathing. When he opened them, he looked fractionally better. It wasn’t much, but apparently it was enough that he could forge on ahead. 

“He said that too, that we have to go to the elder _right now_. He'll escort us there. And either we go with him or he - well, he apologized but said he’d have to bring us there in front of the elder one way or another,” Tweek grabbed one of Craig’s hands in a tight grip, trying to steady himself.

“We don’t want to make it seem like we are running though, that would only make things worse, so we have to go and cooperate, okay? Just stick close to me.” The effort he put in conjuring a brave face was rather lost on Craig since he could see past it. Knew that Tweek was scared, shaken, and an anxious mess right now. 

That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be right there by his side every step of the way, holding onto him, hands together as the silver-scaled merman escorted the two of them deeper into mer territory.


	11. Meet and Greet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, this is the chapter they finally meet the elder. They don't tackle the whole 'getting judged' thing yet. Just getting to the place and meeting the elder. Have fun with that.
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos/comments!

He could ruminate on his inability to understand anyone but Tweek another time, right now he needed to pay attention as they followed the merman. Tweek was clearly still nervous and internally freaking out, but seemed to be holding himself together alright, for now at least.

They went along at his pace, which was slow as fuck because merpeople are way faster than him. He could only kick his human legs so fast, and in all honesty he wasn’t in any hurry to get there. 

With the convenience of having Tweek carry him apparently not allowed right now, seeing as they were nearing his tribe and currently being watched by the mer who first spotted them, they were stuck matching his far slower - purposefully leisurely just to stick it to the hardass leading the way - swim.

The same guy kept shooting Craig mistrustful glares which he returned while flipping him off for good measure. Neither seemed to know what that meant - which was a _tragedy_ \- based on the strange looks he got from both mers he was with, but Tweek squeezed his linked hand in solidarity. 

Flipping someone off with webbed hands was weird. He felt the stretch of the skin linking between his fingers each time he did it to the glaring asshole. Seemed like he’d be doing a lot of it if this was the reaction he was going to be greeted with.

The other mer seemed rather impatient with his speed, but wasn’t doing anything about it. Until he did, Craig would take his sweet time, thank you very much. Especially considering where they were heading. 

Up ahead there was an alarmingly thick forest of kelp that seemed to stretch on forever. It looked like they were headed straight for it. That did not sit well with him. It felt like they were in a horror movie being led to their death, off to a secluded area where no one would see, by the murderer without even knowing. 

“So, do you know this guy?” He jerked his head in the direction of the merman they trailed behind.

Tweek nodded, his gaze following the movement to the one in front of them. “Yes, why?”

“A friend of yours?” Craig asked instead.

“Mmnn, I wouldn’t say friend…” Tweek appeared to think over his relation to the other mer.

“Foe?” Craig guessed, more wary of him now, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“What? No, he’s not- I didn’t mean it like that. He’s just someone I know a bit, most do.” Tweek clarified, with a wave of his other hand. 

“Ok, so he’s not gonna kill us in those plants?” He only half joked. “Good to know.”

“Well I never specifically said that,” Tweek joked right back. He snorted and squeezed Tweeks hand again, releasing some of the tension from the daunting environment they were entering. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to drop his guard completely though. 

“How do you know him then?” He asked to take his mind off swimming through the large overgrown kelp. It was brushing against him as they went through, and he saw other wildlife swimming amongst it.

“Ah, well, he’s one of our best hunters so most know of him, especially since his father was the head of the hunters in his prime, but I know him more from when he proctored the tests I failed,” he elaborated, his tone going embarrassed and ashamed.

“What tests?” That piqued his curiosity, made him wonder what kind of tests he’d failed, why he’d failed, and made him interested to learn more about Tweek. He didn’t know nearly enough about his mer, this was the first time he’d hopefully get to hear a story about his life.

“It’s- I mean I failed them, so it’s not like you need to know about it,” Tweek tried to dodge the question.

“Maybe not, but I’d like to.” The surprised look mixed with embarrassment was quite endearing to see on his face. “I hardly know anything about you, I’d like to learn more.”

His sincerity must’ve come through because Tweek had a smile peaking out looking happy to hear Craig wanted to know more about him. 

As an added bonus, it looked like he was able to help take Tweek’s mind off what they were headed for by giving him something else to focus on. He’d noticed that seemed to help him, like a secret technique for when he got too in his own head.

“Everyone has to contribute in our tribe, if you don’t you’re considered worthless. We have certain duties, ones we either choose or are given.” He paused for a second to think on how best to explain it properly.

“All of us have our skills tested, to make sure we would do well. One of the most basic skills is hunting, we are taught young how to at least hunt for ourselves. And when you get older well…” he trailed off. 

Craig wasn’t an idiot, he put it together pretty easily, Tweek got tested and if the supervisor was a renowned hunter then, “I take it you failed your hunting tests?” Tweek only nodded in shame. 

Didn’t make sense to him, Tweek had gotten them both food before, so he wouldn’t have assumed he was bad at hunting.

“I got too scared and ran away instead of fighting,” he told him shamefaced, “I was deemed ill-fit for that role and they sent me away to find something else to do to contribute.”

“But why? I mean you got us fish, doesn’t that make you a hunter?” Craig didn’t understand how he wasn’t if he could catch food. That was all hunting was, and even if Tweek got scared about doing it at first, he must have learned to face his fears if he easily hunted for the both of them.

“Ah. That’s different. I mean it’s part of it, but most of us can catch a couple fish to eat when hungry. I told you it’s a basic thing you learn to do to survive. Though for the most part, you shouldn't have to hunt for yourself in a tribe as long as the hunters are able to bring enough food for everyone. Some still do anyway, but it’s not really necessary when you belong to a tribe.” He pressed his lips together for a moment.

“Being a hunter though, you have to be able to fight anything. To face everything, and have the ability to take it down. I was too scared to, so I agree that I’m not good enough.” There he went being all self-deprecating again, Craig really wished Tweek would see more in himself. And fuck those merpeople that told him he wasn’t good enough, Craig was sure Tweek could’ve been great if they gave him half a chance. 

Or perhaps Tweek hadn’t wanted to anyway, maybe he shouldn’t get upset on his behalf when he didn’t know the full story. Tweek maybe had something else he wanted to do with his life, something else he was good at that he enjoyed that didn’t involve the danger of fighting sea monsters.

“So, what do you do in your tribe, if you’re not a hunter?” He steered the conversation away from what may be a bit of a touchy subject for him. He hoped this wasn’t worse, because if these fuckers thought Tweek was worthless, he’d be more than happy to take him off their hands.

“Oh, I do whatever needs done, mostly.” He wasn’t sure what Tweek meant by that, but he didn’t need to voice his question, apparently his face did it for him seeing as Tweek took one look at him and started explaining further. “I don’t exactly have a set place, and if I don’t have anything to contribute I’d be worthless to the tribe, so I do whatever I know I can. I help my mom in making things, I go out scavenging, I help with training younger kids and looking after them when needed… just things like that. I’m not sure where exactly I fit in or what you’d consider my role.” 

“Sounds like you do a lot actually,” Craig commented, “I bet your tribe would miss you if you were gone.”

Tweek seemed pleasantly embarrassed by his compliment. “I don’t know about that, there are plenty of others already doing those tasks, I just help where I can,” he said bashfully.

“Still all of that must be helpful to many. It goes a long way, just having someone else you can count on to help out,” Craig encouraged him, wanting him not to see himself as useless as he appeared to believe without a designated role in his tribe.

He caught Tweek’s appreciative smile before his eyes locked onto something behind him moving in the thick of the forest. He stopped moving and felt the color drain from his face causing Tweek’s own smile to drop in concern for him.

There wasn’t just one of them in the dense thicket, there were plenty more zipping about through the kelp around them. It went straight back to a horror movie seeing them practically circling them, all around, above and below, moving seamlessly through the algae they were in.

They were all various shades of colors and brightness. There were some that even seemed to blend in with their surroundings, having the same colors as the kelp they weaved through. 

He hadn't even realized he'd pulled Tweek in close to him, to keep him safe, as if he could protect him from those surrounding them. He only snapped out of it when Tweek grabbed a hold of his shoulder and called his name in worry.

He felt his heart stutter back online and took in a few deep breaths after having not for a few seconds of paralyzing fear at the sight of the mers swimming around them darting in and out of his line of sight.

The surprise factor of their existence might have worn off, but fear of a mass of them was apparently well and present in him. They were still deep water predators after all, and in all likelihood could tear him apart and eat him without a problem. 

Tweek was probably the only one who didn’t share the feelings of his fellow mer on the matter of humans. He imagined the rest would jump at the chance to rip into him. 

He was quick to center himself, calm back down to careful impassiveness as he watched them and saw a few were already watching back. There were those who apparently had yet to notice his presence, going about their day as if nothing was amiss, but the rest had stayed put staring out of the long reaching vines at them.

It was creepier than he’d imagined. Truth be told this isn’t what he’d imagined at all. He wasn’t sure what he expected when he met more merpeople, but being scared shitless at the first brief glimpses of dozens of them through towering algae was not it. Even now it was unnerving to see them shrouded amongst the leaves, and even worse to see the ones who were looking back. 

Those whose eyes he caught all gave him varying displeased reactions upon seeing him. Some were clearly mistrustful, possibly leaning towards hateful. Others looked scared of _him_ , the very _human_ person currently trespassing in their territory. Which was ridiculous in his opinion, he wasn’t the one with knives for hands. A few simply looked confused, or downright horrified by the display of affection between him and Tweek - who he was still holding onto. 

Well then, he’d been right, they were _super_ happy to see him. “Your people seem really welcoming,” he stated deadpan to Tweek, who apparently already knew they were there.

“Ngh, they’re just upset about you being here, about me bringing you here,” Tweek defended his people’s lack of joy over Craig’s arrival.

“Yeah, wasn’t exactly expecting balloons and confetti anyway,” he said as he watched more merfolk gathering to gawk at him and Tweek, but mostly him.

The noises they were making didn’t help with the overall terribleness of the situation. Clearly they were talking about him, though he couldn’t understand them, he had to watch as Tweek shrunk in on himself more and more as he listened to their chattering. 

Craig had already vowed to protect Tweek, and whatever these bastards were saying was obviously getting to him so, although he’d very much like to personally punch all of them at least once, he decided to let go of Tweek in order to continue swimming further through these stupid plants, and away from whatever they had to say.

Didn’t exactly work, seeing as he swam slower than everyone else there, and they simply followed them through the forest. The mer they’d been following was still up ahead waiting on them speaking to someone.

Getting closer he realized with a start, it was a mermaid. He could easily tell that because her breasts were right there. No covering to be seen. Not that he had a problem with boobs or anything, it was just surprising to see them out so blatantly like that. Every other mer had been harder to see the full view of, being obscured by the kelp, but he could see her clearly. 

He’d seen boobs before, in plenty of films and shows and even in magazines, though the easiest was on the internet if he had any interest in doing so. Finding his lack of interest in girls had made his searches a bit different however. Still, the internet was a vast and depraved place, he only preferred when his depravity featured guys instead. 

He didn’t care either way if he could see some lady’s breasts, and it made sense that they wouldn’t be wearing shells or cloth over their chests. Movies and shows really did get it wrong. Or they just went with hiding tits because of some sense of indecency otherwise. 

The mermaid finished speaking with him before darting off in the direction he was sure they were headed to face judgement. A messenger probably, someone to go warn of a human in their midst who was going to be brought in front of them.

Not like they were expecting Tweek to bring home a human from his time away. Not anymore than Tweek or Craig were expecting their lives to go like this.

Tweek was stuck with him now. No take backs. 

He wondered if Tweek regretted it at all. He’d never tell him even if he did, Tweek was just too nice to outright say that to him.

God, he really wished he could do better, be better for him. Like right now, he couldn’t think of what to do to make it better for him. How to help Tweek when he couldn’t even understand his people to know what they were saying about the two of them. Whatever it was, he was sure it wasn't anything good. 

Man did he ever want to shut each one of them up, stop them from making Tweek feel like this, but he would keep control of his temper. Not let his anger get the best of him and make him do something incredibly stupid like actually attempt to punch one of them. At least his anger cancelled out his fear. It had the hidden little effect of making him not remotely scared of the sons of bitches anymore.

Which was a huge plus considering they were nearing where he was sure they were about to meet the elder he’d heard such _lovely_ things about. 

There was a clearing he spotted up ahead. An area with less obstructing his view, which Craig was sure was going to be where they were meant to go. The end of this creepy hellscape was approaching. He could see the kelp thinning and through it he saw no shining castle. Apparently another thing Disney got wrong.

Finally emerging from the dense forest, his vision cleared of all the leaves and vines and he saw they were headed towards a clearing that was sunken in past a bit of a sheer drop at the lip near the edge. It reminded him of an amphitheater, of which Tweek and him would be taking center stage. There was a lack of stairs or seating, but considering the mers could simply swim and float about to watch the procession, they didn't really need it anyway.

The area appeared to be hidden away by the kelp forest, which kept it sheltered and harder to find. It was actually a pretty smart move on their part to avoid detection by humans or other predators who might want to attack them or find and eat them as a tasty meal. 

Merpeople did not live in some extravagant castle, or a city, or village with little cottages. Not that he'd assumed they did, that would've been far more conspicuous. Instead they lived within the bounds of a kelp forest and perhaps within the underwater caves that he spotted in the rock faces after the sheer drop into a clearing devoid of much kelp.

He hadn’t expected Tweek and the rest of the merfolk’s home to look like this, but it wasn’t exactly practical for them to live in a castle under the sea. Not that he’d assumed they’d have some lost sunken city or a giant gleaming castle, he wasn’t a complete idiot, that would’ve been way too easy for humans to find. 

Could you imagine how noticeable some lost city of Atlantis type of place would be? Humans would’ve been all over that. Merpeople couldn’t have stayed hidden away or considered just a myth when they found their giant fucking city.

So it made sense they lived in nature itself, among the other underwater wildlife. Within the kelp forest and in the caves beneath them.

They moved forward until Tweek indicated a nice rock for him to stand on while he floated by his side. Other mers had passed them and were already there and waiting for the show to start. Still whispering amongst themselves about this new juicy gossip. 

One of the topics of the conversation, Tweek, looked like he was trying his best to ignore what they were saying, and failing miserably much to Craig's growing irritation. He wanted to tell them all to shut up and stop making Tweek feel worse. And to get Tweek to stop listening to their stupid conversations.

He bumped Tweek's shoulder with his, staying close to him as he swayed with the current and Craig remained steady, planted firmly on his rock. “Don't let them bother you Tweek. Just ignore them.”

“Mmnn, you don't know what they're saying,” he said quietly, still hunched in on himself.

“Doesn't matter, I see the way they're looking at me, at us. And the way you're reacting to them, and I hate it. Don't let them get to you, no matter what they're saying,” Craig encouraged him. 

Tweek didn’t look convinced, and kept shooting glances around catching snippets of conversations, sparse words that only served to make him feel worse. Craig wanted him to hear what he had to say to him. To straighten up and show them all how amazing he was. Not shrink down, let them win by making him feel lesser, as if he had any reason to feel bad or guilty. 

“You’re stronger than you think and braver than you realize, Tweek,” Craig started, voice even with his steady certainty. “You’ve already proven that. Shown me plenty. Shown them too.” He gestured to the merpeople around them in a wide sweeping motion.

He could tell he had Tweek’s attention, listening to him instead of their nasty words. “You went against everything they’ve taught you about humans to save one. Then had the gall to show up here with me and flaunt your rule breaking in front of their faces. You came back here specifically to own up to what you’d done, and that takes tremendous strength of will, Tweek,” he stated ardently, “So, don’t be afraid, don’t cower or hide, you did exactly what you thought was right and no one can say anything against that kind of conviction.”

Tweek’s eyes shined bright as he looked at him, his lips slightly parted in awe, and most importantly, no longer hunched down looking any amount like he was scared or guilty. 

A soft amazed sound followed by his name, “Craig,” was all Tweek managed to say. Craig ruffled Tweek’s hair, kept his hand there and leaned his forehead against his.

“Yup, that’s me.” He got Tweek to smile with that and look even more at ease. He was sure the mers gathering all around them were getting quite the spectacle watching this little scene. He just hoped Tweek didn’t listen to whatever they had to say about it. They should just fuck off since they clearly didn’t like it.

Not that they would. They were all far too interested to see how this would play out. He was wondering that himself. But he didn't like having some of them behind him, the threat at his back. 

There was threat everywhere really, even above him when he saw the shadow across the ground and looked up away from Tweek only to see more floating up there too. His mer glanced up to see what he was looking at then back to him, but didn’t look rattled which Craig was happy to discover.

None of the other mer’s attempted to talk to them or come near. They all remained behind and to the sides, none in front of where they were. It made far more sense why, when a group emerged from somewhere within the rock face before them and began assembling in a row in front of the two of them not too far from where they were. 

It was a small collective of only five that lined up, turning toward them. With a sinking feeling, Craig knew these people were the council. He wondered which one of them was the elder. He wouldn't have to wonder for long.

First though, he heard Tweek mutter a low "Dad," as he drifted closer to the five of them. He let go of Craig and was moving away from him, which worried him quite a bit. He stayed put where he was, watching as Tweek reached the aforementioned man. 

Tweek's dad was rather boring looking in all honesty. The most striking thing about him was his mostly golden brown scales, similar to Tweek's own, but lacking any of the green that made up a great deal of his.

There was a little hope that sparked in him as he realized Tweek had just approached one of the council members whom he called his dad. Tweek’s dad was on this council thing, and surely the man wouldn't want to see his son put to death. 

Except his father looked as neutral as all the others who were assembled there, even with finding out it was his son who this whole thing was about. When Tweek was close and tried to speak with his father again, Craig heard the woman to the left of his dad sneer something very likely condescending at Tweek who looked wide eyed before it switched to horrified then offended.

The distance wasn't so great from Tweek that he couldn't hear him, so he knew he responded to her giving him attitude with a, "Gah! I'm not taking advantage of anything! I would never try to. I'm not like you. I don't expect any special treatment."

Holy shit. Tweek just said that right to her fucking face and it was awesome to witness. Craig was majorly impressed. The balls it took to stand up for himself against not only an authority figure but one of the people who would be judging him and deciding his fate was just- _damn_.

Craig snorted at Tweek's sick burn. That must have stung.

He was both surprised and impressed hearing Tweek fire back with such a quick insult to her character. He wondered if Tweek was normally this courageous and ballsy. If he didn't care about authority as much as Craig didn't. Or if he was simply super impulsive and did that out of a quick unfiltered reaction to whatever the lady said to him.

Clearly there was some kind of history there to warrant such a comment, but fuck, Craig was beaming with pride on the inside. Tweek certainly shut her up good.

The look on her face was priceless, she hadn't seen that coming but it appeared to be well deserved because she didn't come back at Tweek with anything, only narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips in anger at him. Could be a problem, Tweek said not to get on their bad side and then went and pissed off one of them himself already. 

Craig wasn't gonna get to do anything to screw it up at this point, Tweek might torpedo them himself before he had the chance to.

Looking at each of them, he wondered which of these five was the elder. Doubtful it was Tweek's father - they would only be so lucky - nor was it the woman who couldn't even come up with a retort to Tweek's insult since she could be so easily rendered speechless. It had to be one of the other three then.

He was so busy trying to determine which one he should be looking out for and watching after Tweek that he forgot to look out for himself. He'd ignored his surroundings and that proved to be a truly stupid move on his part.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught the movement. Quick, fluid, and arrow quick, directed right on target- toward him. 

He barely had time to react before the mermaid was on him, had sped right up to him, grabbing him in a flash of motion. Releasing a hissed sound of what he could only assume was rage at a human’s presence. 

A single claw wrapped around his throat in a tight grip, pointed ends pressing against his skin just shy off piercing in its pressure. He felt the panic of that claw being so close to vital areas and covering the gills on his neck practically choking him. He was forced on his tiptoes to keep his feet on the rock while this sea bitch lifted him by his neck. 

The constriction made him feel like he was unable to get enough air. Lowering his ability to breathe without his neck gills and only having the ones on his ribs to rely on. All of which worsened his panic, taking him back to when he was drowning. The feeling of slight suffocation as his gills were unable to open at the sides of his neck was awful and familiar in its awfulness. 

He did not like drowning and the helplessness that came with it. This wasn’t quite that, since he was able to breathe alright enough through the rib gills, but it’s scary enough that he can admit he’s intimidated and not appreciative in the least of the very fresh reminder of the near death experience he endured before. 

In his panic, his first response had always been fight, no matter what. So, his own hand scrabbled for purchase against the arm holding him, blunt nails scraping against skin. He struggled in the hold while his other hand reared back and balled into a fist. He reacted on impulse, letting loose the punch, fist slamming into her face, making her head snap back. Instead of letting go, the harpy’s talons bit into his vulnerable neck in a tighter squeeze. 

Her nails only dug in deeper, he was pretty sure they pierced his skin, but he couldn't really tell right then and he was more worried about getting away from the crazy bitch who just attacked him. His adrenaline was pumping and supplying him with pain numbing so he wouldn't know either way. 

His own blunt nails continued to scratch and scrape against the arm strangling him. They did little damage but for a few lines drawn across skin. What did far more damage was the sharp nails that pierced the very same arm, above where his own nails had dug lines, when she tried to come back at him with a snarl, but was blocked when someone came between them. The claw had swiped down out of nowhere ripping down into fin and stabbing nails into the meat of the arm, drawing blood in wisps of cloudy red water.

The noise she made was an inhuman scream of pain, but what followed was what really sent shivers down his spine. The voice was a dark howl laced with malice. 

They came from the yellow headed mer in front of him who was blocking him from any further attack on her part. His defense of Craig was accompanied by a spine chilling _hiss_ \- **roar** \- **_growl_ **that had his hair standing on end from the pure threat of danger in the sound of that voice. 

It took his brain a moment to catch up, but it did so quickly and he was left staring at the back of his blond head when the bitch let go of him and retreated hastily. 

The sound of “ _DON’T_ **TOUCH** **_MY CRAIG_ **” left every mer shocked into deathly quiet. Not only for the sheer threat from the hair-raising words, but the clear defiance in his behavior and actions as well. 

He wasn’t going to lie, that was pretty hot - in a totally messed up way. Seeing Tweek stick up for him, protect him even against all odds, it amazed him, made him respect Tweek even more. And he wasn’t sure if he had a fear boner right now or not, but man would Tweek ever deserve it. For that badass entrance, coming to his defense, threatening his fellow mer for him, for all of it. 

Craig wouldn’t even be embarrassed to say it turned him on in such an odd way. He’d never seen Tweek be scary or violent, this was new and thrilling. He wondered if something was wrong with him that he found Tweek doing that stupidly arousing. 

The sentiment was not shared by the beings surrounding them. Instead, he was met with stunned horrified silence which spoke volumes in and of itself. This mermaid was important and none of them could believe what they’d just witnessed. To see not only a human harm her, but another mer attack their own kind over that human. 

Craig realized with an awful sense of dread that this was their elder. The elder who he just punched in the face and Tweek sliced into.

Welp, they were boned. And not in the fun way. He might as well let go of any shred of hope he may still have had that they'd make it out of this safely. 

Tweek had just attacked his leader in defense of a human.


	12. For You I know I’d Even Try to Turn the Tide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You ever feel like you're restating yourself too much when writing. Like you're not sure whether you actually are, or if because you're the one writing it and reading it over it seems like you've already said something before and why are you restating it? 
> 
> Sometimes when I'm writing it feels like that. Like I've said something a bunch of times, but really that's not actually the case, or I have but only like once or twice before. It's still such a weird feeling. 
> 
> Anyway, enough about that. Enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Thanks as always to everyone who comments and leaves kudos. You guys rock. You make me smile.

Fuck. Welp in for a penny in for a pound. They were screwed either way, might as well go down swinging. He was glad he got to punch at least one of them in the face, even if it made the case against them that much worse. Anyone else who tried some shit was gonna receive the same treatment. 

The atmosphere was charged with tense anticipation. It was the quiet before the storm because a few beats went by and then everything exploded with noise and movement.

He prepared himself for more to come after them now that they’d hurt their precious leader. He scanned their surroundings looking out for any potential threats. 

He caught the five council members schooling their features right after the mer-bitch relinquished her hold on him and retreated to safety away from Tweek. Behind him, the eruption of noise was deafening coming from the surrounding mers once they’d processed what just happened. 

The aftermath was utter chaos. That’s all he could describe it as. No other word fit quite as well.

It was a cacophony of sounds, of anger and outrage, of confusion and worry. Through it all the elder held her head up high and the council did their best not to react. 

He watched detached as some of the mers flocked over to check on the elder who was holding her ripped fin and bleeding arm close to her chest attempting to staunch the wounds with her hand, swarming her as they tried to help.

His neck hurt, not a surprise given she’d tried strangling him with her claws. It would likely bruise where it’d been squeezed, and was definitely bleeding and stinging from where the nails punctured his skin. 

Letting his guard down now, especially after just being attacked, would be monumentally stupid even if she’d let him go and was busy being tended to. So he kept an eye on what was happening around them while Tweek seemed to mainly concentrate on the elder across from them.

He caught a glimpse of Tweek’s dad concealing his emotions, returning to neutrality, while still maintaining a close eye on all that transpired. Same with the rest of the council members, all except the one who gave Tweek lip earlier. Her eyes were fixated on the elder, looking anything but neutral.

She was going to be a problem, he just knew it. For now, Craig looked over at Tweek while he remained steadfast in his defense against the elder, staying put in front of him, blocking Craig from her view as best as he could. As if he could shield him from any further harm by keeping him out of line of sight.

It was sweet in a way, but it didn’t really work to hide him away from all the eyes fixed on them. Hers as well. 

He met the harpy's eyes, hateful and pissed, with his own unimpressed glare and did what came naturally. He tilted his head back, chin up, raised his middle finger to her, and gave her a 'come at me bitch' look which only made her eyes narrow, seething at his audacity. Mission accomplished. He hoped she choked on her rage.

To add fuel to the fire he specifically said “Fuck you lady,” to her, not that she understood. And Tweek refused to relay that particular message. Which was a damn shame. He would’ve loved to see how she reacted to that.

When she finally turned her attention to her aides attempting to patch her up, the tension in Tweek’s frame loosened a miniscule amount. His claws lowered from where he’d held them ready for any retaliation or further attack either by the elder once again, or the ones they were surrounded by.

Keeping an eye on the group of mers in front of them and the elder, Tweek was slow to turn to him. He was careful not to fully turn away from the threat, in case they decided to take it as an opening to attack either of them, but enough to check on Craig while still being alert of potential danger.

The other merpeople were making so much garbled together sound as a collective, he could barely hear Tweek over them. If not for their bond helping to give him the translation, he likely wouldn't have heard what Tweek said as he fussed over him. It helped when he got closer to him to understand what he was saying. 

“Oh no, Craig. Let me look- gah, how could I let this happen?” Worried and concerned about the wounds on his neck, Tweek carefully touched the tender areas. Craig let him as he turned sideways to make it easier to keep watch on everything while allowing Tweek to examine his injuries. 

He winced when the pad of his finger brushed over one of the open cuts prompting Tweek to immediately apologize. “I’m so sorry Craig. Do they hurt a lot?”

He waved away his apologies quickly because the guilt looking back at him was awful to see. Tweek was blaming himself for Craig getting injured when it wasn’t his fault. He’d been over with his dad and had intervened as fast as he could, but Craig still got attacked in the interim. 

“Don’t worry about it Tweek, you're not the one who hurt me,” he glanced over at the culprit who was getting treatment for the wounds inflicted in defense of her attack. “So you don’t have to apologize for something you didn’t do,” he stated, still glaring at the one responsible.

“You’re hurt. **She hurt you** ,” the last part came out a little vicious, but he instantly switched back to guilty and upset, with a little pinch between his brows.

“It’s fine Tweek, really. The worst part is the stinging. Fucking saltwater in wounds. Hurts like a bitch.” Craig grit his teeth against the burning sting invading the cuts on his neck. 

Reassuringly, he placed his own hand over Tweek’s wrist, rubbing his thumb across it as Tweek kept his hand close to the injured areas. His eyes focused intently on the marks his elder left behind, proof of his failure to protect Craig- at least that’s what he whispered more to himself than to Craig, but he heard it all the same.

It was far easier to hear now that the elder finally shut the surrounding onlookers up by holding up her uninjured hand and quieting them down to low murmurs while she spoke amongst the mers treating her injuries. 

The show of respect to her, that just one lift of her hand got her people to listen to her request for quiet so she could discuss with the ones close to her was a huge flashing sign that said _important, she’s important_ , they listen to her immediately and without question. It meant any attempts to appeal to them would be hard fought, or completely ignored in favor of taking her side in any and all disputes.

What it boiled down to essentially was, they were totally boned no matter what they did from here on. They’d attacked the leader, even if it was in self-defense, and they wouldn’t be happy to listen to him, a human, to begin with.

Ah well, it’s not exactly like he had high hopes to start off anyway. Just sucked they wouldn’t even get a chance to try. It was pretty clear from the display he’d seen up ‘til now that they were not going to be on their side. 

Tweek seemed more concerned with Craig and the injuries on his neck than what his people were saying or how they were reacting to all this. Which, on the one hand, was good that he wasn’t listening to them or letting their words get to them. On the other, Craig feared it may make Tweek look like he didn’t care about his own people, or about how he’d just attacked one of his own in defense of a human.

Tweek was too busy inspecting the wounds and being so obvious - it was practically written on his face - about his wish to tend to them like the way the elder was receiving treatment for hers, but Craig was pretty sure if either of them moved from their current spot, they wouldn’t get very far. 

None of that mattered to the current issue Craig felt he should address, that is Tweek’s self-inflicted contrition. 

“No Tweek, you didn’t fail. Not at all,” Craig vehemently disagreed with Tweek’s whispered self-condemnation. 

“But you’re injured. If I hadn’t left your side, if I stayed right here with you, if I never brought you here in the first place-”

Craig had enough hearing Tweek putting himself down. He wasn’t responsible for what happened in any capacity. He'd gone against his own leader just to protect him. That was commendable, not something Craig would hold him at fault over. 

“Hey, don’t go blaming yourself, okay? You didn’t attack me, you defended me. And against your elder. I mean dude, that was awesome, and you didn’t even hesitate against her. But I’m pretty sure we just made things sooo much worse for ourselves,” Craig couldn’t help but point out. 

They’d been doomed from the start, hadn’t they? This leader of theirs clearly hates humans with a passion and was never going to take it easy on them. 

“She should never have touched you,” Tweek stated ferociously, his brows drawing together in anger. “I’m sorry I allowed it to happen at all. I should’ve been more vigilant,” he stated, his tone still hinting at his anger over the situation they found themselves in. Anger Craig believed Tweek may be pointing inwards.

“I won’t let anyone harm you again,” he swore a second later, face set in stone, fierce in his dedication. 

Craig swallowed at the declaration. Feeling flustered all over again. He pushed that feeling deep down, because no, now was not the time or place to be getting worked up like that. They were basically on trial like in some fucked up ocean courtroom that was basically rigged against them.

Besides, he didn’t want Tweek to have to fight all of his people. He’d made it clear before that he didn’t want to kill any of his people or see Craig die, so him promising to keep him safe meant he was willing to harm his fellow mer for Craig sake, which they both knew he didn’t want to have to resort to. Even though he’d already proven he would if necessary when he fought his own leader.

He’d stood up to his elder, sliced through her fin and dug sharp nails into her arm without any hesitation, all to protect him. It was surreal, here was this mythical creature who cared so deeply for him that he would be willing to forsake his entire people just to protect Craig. A human who had no business being so far deep down in the sea to begin with. Craig was honored, but worried. 

He really did not want anything to happen to Tweek because of him. He feared he wouldn’t get a say either way. It’d play out however it did, and it might end up with both of them dead, but hey, he would’ve been dead without Tweek rescuing him at the start anyway, so it was really only Tweek who was actually losing anything if they were sentenced to death.

That’s probably why it sat so terribly in his gut, Tweek could’ve avoided all this had he just let Craig drown. Yet he hadn’t, and now they were here, where Tweek was potentially going to die and it was Craig's fault in the end then, wasn’t it? 

Craig just sighed, there was too much of the ‘blame game’ being played between them and honestly it wasn’t Tweek’s fault any of this happened. He was only guilty of trying to save Craig, and that goes for both times. “You didn’t let her harm me, you had no control over her actions. Even if someone tries to hurt me again, it still won’t be your fault Tweek.”

“All of it’s my fault Craig, I’m the one who gave you my gift. Everything that’s happened since then is my fault and I’m so sorry I dragged you into all of it,” he apologized to him again. It was unneeded and unwanted. 

“Fuck that Tweek. You gave me it to save me. You don’t have control of all this other shit that happens. Me getting attacked? That’s only the attackers fault, okay? Not yours, not in any-fucking-way is it yours. So stop fucking blaming yourself. I certainly don’t,” Craig pressed the issue, forcing Tweek to acknowledge what he was saying, and he hoped, accept it as truth.

“I’m glad you gave it to me. You saved me when you didn’t have to. If anyone is to blame, shouldn’t it be me?” 

Tweek was quick to shake his head no and opened his mouth to argue, but Craig didn’t let him. He closed what little distance was between them and took a quick peck surprising Tweek into silence. “If I’m not to blame then neither are you. So stop blaming yourself.”

“Craig,” Tweek said as he huddled back in close, wrapped his arm around the back of him and kept his other hand gently touching the side of his neck. 

Tweek was hugging him. Craig was happy to hug him right back.

He felt him even nuzzle his cheek a couple times, and though it was foreign to him, Craig tried to do the same back.

For a few precious seconds, it’s like they were safe and nothing bad could happen because they were together, it was a wonderful feeling. Not being scared or unsure, not feeling hunted or out of their depth, just being blissfully unaware of anything else but each other and taking comfort and safety in the embrace, and in one another. 

It was a breath of relief, something desperately needed, they’d both been so tense and wound up from the attack, they had needed some time to be okay after it. To release the gnawing fears and cold dread in their bellies. To be warmed by each other’s arms, to know they were both okay and everything from here on they would do together, that they’d be there for one another.

Their little moment was interrupted at a different mer’s approach. They broke apart quickly, Tweek’s hand sliding away from his neck and both of them releasing each other from their hold. Craig readied for another fight, renewed and raring to go, while Tweek registered who was coming at them and his eyes shined with trust directed at the new woman swimming in close. 

It made Craig pause and observe. He looked over the mermaid headed toward them and found quite a bit of resemblance to Tweek in her.

She had light brown hair and familiar green scales. Her smile was instantly recognizable, since he’d seen it on Tweek’s face plenty. Like right now in fact. Tweek smiled at her approach, and although there was a pinch of concern on her face, she was smiling right back at him.

She was definitely a pretty lady. He may not be into women, but he could still see she was attractive. Which is probably where Tweek got it, certainly not from his far more plain looking dad. 

They had nearly the same eyes, the color was just shy of being exact replicas, the shape close to the same as well. He saw the similarities in her that he was more used to seeing on Tweek. Tweek confirmed this was indeed his mom - just as Craig had suspected - when he greeted her warmly.

He watched with rapt attention as they clasped arms, hands near the insides of each other's elbows so as to not squish or harm each other's fins on the outside, and held them there while moving in closer. They leaned in until their faces touched, cheeks brushing in quick little motions. Small noises were exchanged in a happy hello.

When they finished their - frankly _adorable_ \- nuzzling, she pulled back just enough to glance over Tweek’s shoulder at him.

Her green eyes were assessing, though kind. She didn't appear to immediately hate him solely on the basis of him being a human, which was a plus. He may actually have a chance at winning her approval, unlike so many of her kind, and not to mention - this is Tweek's _mom_. 

He was meeting one of the parents to the guy he was essentially married to. It was a weird experience, nerves fluttered in his stomach. 

It occurred to him that he actually cared what she thought, he wanted her to like him. At least enough to trust her son with him. And fuck, was that ever fucked up. He was bound to Tweek already, but he was still worried what his parents would think of him. A human - and that was a whole other issue, his status as a human while Tweek is a mer.

This woman didn't seem particularly put off by it, she even graced him with a small smile, almost like she was welcoming him. The first nice one he'd received by anyone other than her son. He could see where he got it from immediately. 

The way she made herself over to him with Tweek in tow, being gracious and not hateful or disgusted by his mere presence. He could see the compassion in those pretty green orbs, Tweek shared that thoughtful and caring nature through and through. 

With dawning comprehension, he understood why Tweek turned out the way he did.

She'd been the one to teach him compassion. She hadn’t instilled in Tweek the hatred for humans so many of their kind had. Which meant, Tweek didn't automatically hate humans, and he was willing to save one because he was taught to be kind. To have compassion for others. 

She was the reason Tweek looked at him, a drowning human, and went to save his life dashing the rules and doing what he thought was right no matter the consequences, and without caring that he was a different species entirely.

He owed her a great deal for raising Tweek the way she did. For so many reasons, his continued ability to breathe being just one of them.

Craig wasn’t sure what she said to him as she came up and addressed him, but he heard Tweek tell her he couldn’t understand anyone else. He was pretty sure she laughed at that. Her smile certainly widened and her eyes shined with amusement at the predicament they found themselves in. 

The two of them talked briefly, and Craig enjoyed the show as Tweek became increasingly embarrassed. Whatever she was saying, Craig got the impression she was teasing Tweek. It was really sweet to see, even if he couldn’t understand her side.

Tweek finally bursting in a very typical embarrassed teen voice, “MOM!” made Craig actually laugh.

Tweek turned to him as soon as he did. “Don’t you dare laugh Craig! Agh, this is so embarrassing,” he lamented.

“Ha, what is? You can’t even take your mom teasing you Tweek?” Craig made fun of him, adding on to the pile of embarrassment Tweek was suffering from.

“Sh-shut up Craig, you don’t even know what she’s saying!”

“Then tell me,” Craig coaxed him to do just that, curious about what his mom could be saying to get him all worked up.

“Ngh, no,” Tweek firmly sealed his lips to prevent spilling all the humiliating things.

“Oh come on, why not?” Craig tried again to wheedle it out of him.

“You’ll just make fun of me too,” Tweek was downright pouting now. It was unfair that he looked so cute like that. Flustered and embarrassed and pouting. Craig wanted to squish his cheeks and maybe plant a kiss on those pouted lips. Maybe even ruffle his hair and get him to make a whole other expression when he did all three together. 

He held himself back from going for it, especially since, again, time and place not exactly the best for such things currently. Instead he just smirked and said, “Fine, I just wanted to be let in on what’s happening but if you’re so unwilling to tell me…” 

“That’s-that’s not fair Craig! You can’t use your not understanding our language to-to make me feel like I should tell you - rrr - you’re totally doing that on purpose aren’t you?” Tweek was giving in, he could see it.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.” He didn’t give anything away, went full apathetic zen.

“Urgh, fine. She just- well she… she was teasing me because I gave my one away to you without, like, even knowing you or anything, but said at least I got,” Tweek wiggled in embarrassment, “at least you’re- you know…”

Craig did not know.

“Good looking,” he whispered, “though that’s not how she phrased it.”

“You think I’m good looking?” Craig ducked his head to meet Tweek’s eyes.

“Ngh, she said that! Not me!” He squeaked in a high pitched voice, even more embarrassed than before.

“Oh. So you don’t find me attractive? Only your mom does huh…” Craig went for full sympathy points there, he wasn’t sure how to look sad on purpose, so he went with just looking down at the rock he was standing on and not meeting Tweek’s quickly widening eyes.

His hands flailed out in front of him, waving them at Craig as he tried to quickly fix what he thought he’d messed up.

“No! No, I didn’t mean you aren’t! I didn’t say that! You are! Really. Craig, oh please don’t be upset. I find you super appealing, like _wow_ , you know? When I first saw you up close after I sealed the bond I thought you were a very good looking human! Honest,” Tweek rambled reassuringly to Craig who did his best getting his smile under control before Tweek saw.

“I find you pretty attractive too, Tweek,” Craig admitted, lifting his head and unable to stop a bit of his smile from peaking through. 

Tweek went still and silent at that. His hands stopped moving and his own smile split his face, “Really?” He asked bashfully.

“Yeah, totally,” Craig confirmed.

“Thank you Craig,” Tweek ducked his head again, but he was smiling happily at the compliment. 

Then his mom started laughing and he looked up at her embarrassed all over again. As if he forgot where they were and who they were with for a little bit.

Reality came rushing back to them, popping their little bubble of peace they’d had for a few moments.

Tweek’s mom seemed a bit apologetic at having interrupted them and ruining their banter, but began talking with her son again. He saw them give a quick arm hold again, before she darted off.

He turned to Tweek in question, wondering why she left. Tweek explained she was going to get something to treat his wounds and she’d be back quickly. 

Of course, it was then that the elder appeared to finish up getting her own treatment. She was bandaged up, though not in any bandage he would’ve used had they been on land, but he wasn’t and they weren’t. So, sea bandages it was. Her arm was securely wrapped in greens and browns. Tucked nicely so it wouldn’t unravel. 

Craig was honestly impressed, he knew how difficult it was to get a towel to stay on him after a shower, it wasn't easy that’s for sure. Wrapping an ace bandage on might be a more accurate comparison though, but that still wasn’t super easy to do and keep it in place without it sagging or trying to unravel throughout the day. Usually he had to pin it in place when he did it to himself. 

That didn’t change his opinion of the sea-bitch and her bitch squad. They were the number one enemy right now. Her in particular. He kept a close eye on her as she began talking.

Again, he found himself at the disadvantage of not knowing what was being said, but he trusted Tweek and would have to rely on him to either translate for him or at least present their case in the best way they could.

He did not expect Tweek to get increasingly pissed as the harpy spoke, going from addressing all the merfolk gathered there to just Tweek and probably Craig too, but maybe she was bypassing his presence entirely and that’s what was pissing Tweek off so badly.

It was not. It was clear that wasn’t the case when Tweek interrupted her with a guttural growl, “You should _never_ have laid your hands on him! He’s **mine**!”

Oh, well, hey there was that feeling again. One he tamped down valiantly. At least he now knew Tweek did in fact know he’s a guy. That’s one question check marked as answered now. It also brought up a whole lot of other feelings knowing Tweek knew. 

Tweek was bound to him, liked him enough to kiss him and protect him, and knew he was a guy and was okay with that. Even found him attractive as he just told him a few minutes ago. This was a vast improvement over Craig being left to wonder whether or not him being male would change things between them.

And shit, Tweek was defending him again and fighting with his elder, only verbally this time, at least for now. 

“And _you_ should know not to touch what **isn’t yours** ,” he said darkly in response to something the elder had shot back with.

“You attacked him without provocation!” Tweek moved a bit in front of him again, as if just the memory of the attack was having him on the defensive again. Once again facing down his own leader with steely determination. It was impressive (and kinda hot).

“YOU **HURT** HIM!” Tweek bellowed. Whatever she was saying was riling him up terribly. Craig hoped it didn’t come down to a fight, they wouldn’t win against all the mers gathered here. If it was just them against the elder, they may stand a chance though.

“Look at his neck. Look at it!” Tweek reached behind him and grabbed the back of Craig’s head in a firm, but not mean, hold and showed his vulnerable, already damaged, neck to his leader. She was keeping her distance, but she did eye his neck.

There was even a momentary look of shame? Possibly regret even. It passed quickly and a hard look shuttered her features from emotion.

The other mers were all deathly silent as the two argued back and forth. Craig really wished he got both sides. And could participate in the argument. He was left to watch just like all the rest gathered there. 

“We don’t have anything to apologize for,” Tweek replied tersely. “You are the one who should apologize to him. The only apology I have to give is for not being right by his side when you dared to attack my one,” Tweek declared, not a hint of fear in his voice. His hand went soft in Craig’s hair, gentling in his hold, lightly brushing his claw through it.

“To attack anyone’s mate is enough for them to attack you back.” He moved his hand back to his side, claws flaring out like he was readying to slice the woman up again. 

Her eyes darted to his claws, the ones that had previously been used to harm her, considering them for a moment before meeting Tweek’s eyes again and saying something to him, setting him off on another point. 

“You’re wrong, he won’t. Just because he’s a human doesn’t mean he’s a danger to us,” Tweek defended. “He only hit you to defend himself. And he’s already promised me he would never tell anyone about us or where we are.”

“I don’t care that he’s human, and he is far from ungrateful.” His voice carried with it the passion he felt, “He is my one. I chose him of my own free will.” He held his head high, faced her head on in this battle of words. Craig felt pretty useless just standing by, but he was immensely proud of Tweek for standing up for himself and not backing down. 

“My gift was _mine_ to give. No one else’s. You nor anyone else can say who it should or shouldn’t have gone to!” Craig remembered Tweek telling him they would’ve picked someone for Tweek if he didn’t find someone to give his one to on his own. 

He was almost positive Tweek had told him he would’ve ended up with someone from another tribe, something about strengthening alliances… was that what the elder was so upset about, that she lost a bargaining chip in Tweek? ‘Cause fuck her if it was.

“And I didn’t squander it. I am happy I gave it to him, that he is the one I am bound to. I gave it of my own choice and will. He accepted.” Tweek grabbed his hand in his and held it, Craig gave him a quick squeeze of encouragement. He was doing so well against whatever she was saying and Craig didn’t even need to hear it to know. “You must recognize that in the eyes of our sacred oaths or you deny all claims.” 

Ooo that got a reaction out of all of them. Even her rigid ass. 

Pretty soon the buzz of noise came back alive as the merfolk began to speak amongst themselves again.

The council even seemed surprised and shared a few looks together. Though they were quick to go back to being straight faced and impartial as can be. 

What surprised him the most was the elder tipping her head down in acknowledgement of what Tweek said. Maybe even acknowledging Tweek and Craig’s bond before the entire tribe. Craig wasn’t sure about that, but by the way Tweek squeezed his hand and sounded like he breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed like things might be looking up for them.

He was proved right in this instance when the elder actually spoke to all those gathered there. It was clear she was speaking to them as she looked around the clearing, not directly at Tweek anymore, nor glaring at Craig.

When she finished, she turned to the council who nodded as well. Some more begrudgingly than others. She then looked back to Tweek, and only really seemed to want to interact with him and forget Craig’s existence, which hey, he’d take it if it meant they got out of this alive.

She could ignore he was even there at all, in fact he’d be happier if she did. He didn’t want a repeat of his throat being crushed. This alternative was far more appealing.

Tweek was radiating with happiness as he looked over at Craig, smiling big and wide. Craig finally caved and asked what was going on.

Tweek smiled fondly at him, as if him being confused was something to be fond over, while still looking super excited. “She has agreed that our union is to be acknowledged!” 

“Oh, yippee,” Craig intoned flatly, not understanding what the big deal was.

“Craig that’s a good thing, a really good thing! And the council agreed! All because I convinced them Craig. I did that, can you believe that? How did I do that - gah - I should’ve been terrified, but I- I just demanded they accept us. Accept what I did! Ack, Craig what came over me?! I’m not- not - I don’t even know what that was. But I’m not normally bold like that! I don’t just demand things and expect-”

“Whoa, Tweek, calm down there. You went from real excited to real freaked out, real quick. Just breathe for me babe, okay?” Craig tried to help talk him down from the whirlwind he’d whipped himself up into.

It took a little bit of coaxing and hand squeezing, but he went back down to an acceptable level of frazzled. 

When he could finally talk normally again, Tweek was able to explain a bit better. “They recognize us now as bonded. That you are my one and so are not to be touched by anyone else. No one will harm you. You will be inducted into our tribe!” He was back to sounding excited.

“Great, really looking forward to it.” He was not. They didn’t actually want him in their tribe. They were only doing this out of some sense of duty and from what Tweek was rapidly explaining, the gift and being someone’s one was essentially the same as marrying someone for a green card. 

Just with more attachments and sacred oaths and shit. As long as it kept them from being sentenced to death, then he’d go along with it.

Tweek’s words died in his throat when the council and elder approached them. He was quick to move back in front of Craig again, to shield him in case they took it back and tried to hurt him.

Instead they stopped just before them. It was admittedly pretty intimidating to have all of them there. Six in total. Five council members and the leader of the entire tribe. Floating before them and scrutinizing them. Judging them.

Craig was sizing them up himself, deciding if he could have any chance in taking them on if it came to that.

Their gazes swept over him briefly before going back to Tweek. The one they would actually talk to and interact with. It really was like Craig just became a nuisance they’d put up with, but would rather wasn’t there at all.

The only one whose eyes lingered on him for any greater length was Tweek’s dad. He could understand why. After all, Tweek was bound to him, had given away his precious gift to save him, and was now defending him and boldly demanding their bond be okayed by all authority figures present.

The man turned his attention to his son as he was asked questions from other members of the council and the elder as well. It almost seemed like he was looking at him in a new light by the way he took in his son.

Craig was content to just stand back and let Tweek answer everything, better than him actually being able to talk with them. Both he and Tweek knew him talking with them would be far more likely to offend them and get their asses murdered.

He was fine with waiting to see if Tweek needed him for any part of the discussions now happening. Tweek was surprisingly adept at social conversation. He was still a nervous mess, but he was handling himself fairly well considering. 

One of the first things they wanted was the how. How did it happen?

Tweek quickly relayed what happened. How it led to Craig getting rescued and revived by the gift sealing the bond. Some of them glanced over at him at certain parts of the story, but he gave nothing away remaining impassive, looking bored out of his mind. Which he was.

The only thing keeping his attention was the possibility this could all go south still and he’d end up with claws in his gut or tearing out his throat. 

When Tweek finished recounting the tale, more questions came and were fielded. It was too hard to keep track with only knowing one half of the conversation. 

It wasn’t until Tweek started asking questions about the bond itself that Craig perked up, rejoining in listening to the conversation. 

He’d even sat down on the rock at some point tired of standing there waiting for something to happen. Tweek’s mom had come by in the downtime and had some help from the huge silver scaled hunter, who’d led them here to begin with - and was surprisingly a pretty chill dude, not like his first impression of him as a hardass, or maybe he was just being defensive against everyone and anyone at the time - and had treated his injuries. 

It was kind of weird, the goopy stuff they put on him, and the plant stuff they carefully placed on top. Oh well, as long as he didn’t have some strange reaction to the stuff.

Now though, he was alert as he listened to what Tweek was saying, what he was asking.

He wanted advice about controlling the borrowing. They were actually giving him answers, which honestly surprised Craig. Tweek was nodding and asking more questions about the bond and everything to do with it, until he seemed unable to get out one in particular. 

Everything went quiet for a little bit while Tweek seemed to gather himself and muster up enough courage to ask, “Can he go home?”

Craig felt his heart stutter then lodge in his throat. He hadn’t known Tweek would even try to ask. He assumed he was stuck here forever, that was the impression Tweek had given him. 

Each time he had hope that he could go home, they were constantly and consistently dashed. But the fact that Tweek was trying for him, was willing to find out and let him go back home if there was a way, it meant so much more to him than he thought Tweek would even be able to grasp. Or maybe he did and that’s why he was asking. Trying to find a way to let him go and make him happy.

His heart gave a painful squeeze at imagining leaving Tweek behind in the ocean, but at the same time, he so desperately wanted to go home. To be with his family and friends, and blissfully very far away from here. If he could go home, he’d be sooo happy.

The looks that passed through the mers before them were ones of confusion morphing and branching out in different ways as they understood what he was asking.

They took quite some time to formulate a response, but when they did, Tweek’s body sagged. “I thought that’s what would happen,” he sounded sad. Craig wished more than ever that he could understand the other side of the conversation. Just from the way Tweek reacted, he felt his own body sag knowing it was another dead end.

Tweek’s father placed a hand on his shoulder and said something softly to him. “Really? Visit? Would that work?” He directed the questions to the elder and even glanced along the other council members to get confirmation on what his dad was telling him.

After he got what he needed he peeked over at Craig. “It might work, if the borrowing can be controlled.” A small smile was working its way onto his face, and Craig thought for a split second Tweek had found a way to return him home. But the smile was erased just as soon as it came because the mermaid council member who clearly didn’t like Tweek wiped it from his face.

“What? No, but you said…” Tweek looked between all the members again, his dad at least looked sympathetic, but the rest had schooled their features once more and the leader nodded confirming it.

“What is the punishment then?” He asked shakily, and Craig realized they hadn’t been sentenced not really, not yet.

Tweek’s dad spoke in low tones and he responded quickly, “Yes, but he wouldn’t betray me, betray us. He wouldn’t tell anyone. He promised.”

All eyes were suddenly on him. Craig met their stares with simple confusion. 

“Craig, tell them. Promise you would never lead any humans back here or reveal where we are, even under pain of death. Swear it,” Tweek implored him.

“Yeah, I won’t tell anyone where the merpeople live or bring anyone here or anything like that,” Craig promised, “Uh, I swear, Tweek.” 

Not like anyone would believe him if he tried to tell them merpeople were real. Besides, he’d have to get back on land or close enough to other humans to do so, and from the way things were looking that would be difficult, nigh impossible.

Oh, and you know, he had no fucking clue where he was. That would also contribute to the ‘not being able to bring someone back here’ thing. The best he could even try to describe it is way far out into the ocean and in a kelp forest. Ya, good luck finding that.

Tweek relayed his message, but they still looked skeptical, like Tweek was lying and saying what they wanted to hear and not repeating what Craig just said. It wasn’t like he could actually convince them either way. What with them not being able to understand him any more than he could understand them.

Praise the lord, hallelujah, they accepted it as good enough. 

He was just gonna go sit back down now, since his involvement was unneeded and frankly stupid anyway since they barely believed him to begin with. They apparently couldn’t trust the word of a human.

When all was said and done, the whole buzz of the affair went stale. The fanfare was over hyped and it ended up being rather anticlimactic. Started off crazy with the sea-bitch attacking him and ended with them needing time to deliberate on what to do and how to punish them.

Apparently this was unprecedented. They didn’t have a set rule for ‘what to do when a mer mates a human’ or a punishment to fit the crime. 

Craig was just glad it wasn’t an automatic death sentence. Then again, Tweek had said that was normally reserved for the most heinous of crimes. But they did harm the leader of their tribe, so…

Yeah, he really didn’t know where they stood on the scale from pure evil to as harmless as a butterfly. 

All he knew was, for the time being, they were still on thin ice. Until they got a ruling, Craig would be staying with Tweek, and Tweek for his part, was happy to have him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... how many of you think Craig fully grasps just how important this bond thing is? 
> 
> The elder still being a major ____ you can fill in the blanks. But at least Tweek's mom is nice. 
> 
> In the show she always seems the most caring and involved with Tweek. I think she is compassionate and is where Tweek gets a lot of his values from. Tweek's dad is often too in his own head (something Tweek does kind of have in common along with a bit of the rambling) and too involved in trying to run his business in the show, but at least is supportive of Tweek in his own way.


End file.
